


My Brother's a Jinchūriki! EXTRAS

by SasskatShinobi1



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Friendship, Funny, Gen, Heartwarming, Holidays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:35:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasskatShinobi1/pseuds/SasskatShinobi1
Summary: Bonus content for my fic MBAJ (My Brother's a Jinchūriki that includes:-holiday chapters-backstory-headcanons-AU bitsSome will be canon to the official My Brother's a Jinchūriki! storyline, and some will not be. They will be labeled.
Kudos: 2





	1. 2018 Halloween Special Part One

**_*This Halloween Special is not a canon part of this story but it is supposed to be fun! I hope you enjoy it! The timeline of this Halloween special is around the time of the Chunin Exams.*_ **

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke waited outside of Naruto's building impatiently. Sasuke leaned his back against the wall with his arms crossed, while Sakura looked up at Naruto's balcony and paced.

"We're always waiting for him." She muttered. "He's almost as late as often as Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto rushed down the steps and greeted them with a sheepish smile. "Heh. Sorry."

"You'd better be! We've been waiting for you for a while." Sakura put her hands on her hips and looked his costume up and down. He wore old, tattered, dirty clothes and his face had been carefully painted to look skeletal and decayed. "Huh. Your costume is actually really good. You like almost like a real zombie. It's creepy."

Naruto grinned and crossed his arms. "It's great, right?? It took me a long time but it's really a masterpiece!"

"Where's Natsumi?" Sakura looked back up at the window of the apartment. "I thought she was going to come with us?"

Naruto made a face, scrunching his features. "She said she needed more time to get ready. She said that her costume is pretty elaborate."

Sakura let out a quiet sigh. _"The polite thing to do would be to wait for her, but I don't want to be late for Trick-or-Treating and miss out on the candy."_

Naruto looked more closely at Sakura, a slight smirk forming as he looked at her. She wore a purple and orange witch's dress, with a laced bodice and fluffy skirt, paired with short, buckled heels and a pointed black witch's hat. She held a broom in her hands to complete the look and Naruto blushed faintly.

"You look really cute, Sakura-chan."

Her cheeks warmed and she turned away. "You moron. I didn't dress up to impress you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, who stood quietly off to the side. "You didn't dress up at all!"

Sasuke scoffed under his breath. "Halloween is for children."

"W-What?!" Naruto's eyes widened briefly, then he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "Listen, you! Just because you're stuck-up doesn't mean you get to ruin it for everyone else! Halloween is about having fun!"

Before he could reply, a small rush of wind came between the trio, accompanied by an eerie hissing, and Naruto blinked suddenly.

"W-What was that?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It was just the wind. Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean that you need to be paranoid."

He made a face and crossed his arms. "I-I'm not paranoid! It was just surprising, is all!"

"Naruto, you—" Sakura stopped as a soft, faint groaning filled the air around them and a chill ran down her spine. "W-What's that?"

Naruto looked around quickly, unable to find the source of the noise, then he looked at Sakura with a slight smirk. "Who's being paranoid now?"

Sakura flushed and scowled, but another small rush of wind blew by and she held her arms close to her chest. "I-I'm not paranoid. There are just some strange things happening."

A faint blur of white passed through and Naruto and Sakura yelped simultaneously.

"A-A g-ghost!" Naruto pointed at the blur as it disappeared inside of a shrub. A quiet crunching came from the bush and Naruto stepped back from it. "C-Creepy!"

Sakura shivered and reeled as Sasuke rolled his eyes. _"Idiots."_

He approached the shrub, moving one of the branches to reveal Yuki, Natsumi's white Ninja Cat, eating a mouse. She looked up from her meal and scowled at the Uchiha.

"Can't a cat eat in peace?!" Picking up her kill in her mouth, she indignantly strode out of the shrubbery, walking away, muttering something that was too muffled to understand.

"There aren't any such things as ghosts." Sasuke stuck his hands into his pockets as his teammates breathed sighs of relief.

"R-Right." Sakura nodded and laughed awkwardly. _"Even so, that was still creepy!"_

"Hmph." Naruto crossed his arms. "I know that. I was just playing along to trick you."

"Hello."

Naruto and Sakura screeched. "Ghost!!"

They turned and saw their sensei standing behind them, looking no different than usual.

"Hm? You thought I was a ghost?" Kakashi innocently pointed at himself and then chuckled. "It seems Halloween has you on edge."

"Sorry for making everyone wait so long."

Naruto paled and turned to see Natsumi, then his mouth hung open in shock. "T-That's your costume?!"

Sakura's eyes widened and she stared at the red-haired girl in surprise, then contained a giggle. Natsumi was dressed nearly identically to Kakashi, including hiding her bright hair with a wig and covering her face with a mask. _"That is a very elaborate costume. It seems as though she's gotten every detail right..."_

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the girl. _"She dressed as... me? Interesting choice..."_

Naruto circled his twin slowly, then stopped in front of her. "Well, you look like Kakashi-sensei I guess, but something seems to be missing..."

Natsumi's eyes widened and she giggled, intentionally crinkling her eyes to mimic him. "Oh, right!" Reaching behind her, she retrieved a book from a pouch and held it open, pretending to read.

Naruto burst into laughter and pointed at her. "That's it!! That's perfect!!"

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets, chuckling to himself. _"I see... so she's even made a prop of Make-Out Paradise. She must have spent a lot of time preparing this."_

"Natsumi, your costume is really good. It must have taken you a long time to put together." Sakura complimented.

Natsumi smiled and nodded. "Wigs are harder than I thought they would be, so it took a while to get right." She patted the spiky wig, beaming proudly at herself. "But, the hardest part was doing this." She carefully removed the headband that covered her left eye, revealing an expertly done fake scar, and her eye was colored red.

"Wooaaah!" Naruto's eyes widened as he stared. "That scar looks so real! How did you do it?"

Sakura looked at her eye. "Is that a contact lens?"

Natsumi nodded again, carefully prodding next to her eye. "It's pretty uncomfortable, and it was hard to get in, but I think it's worth it to make it accurate."

Naruto nodded, then crossed his arms as she recovered her eye. "But why dress as Kakashi-sensei?"

Her cheeks warmed slightly and she was grateful for the mask. "Well, Kiri helped me to come up with the idea. We started to discuss costumes weeks ago, and she said that there were only four options for costumes— scary, sexy, cute, or funny." She shrugged. "There's no way I could do either of the first two, and I knew that all the other girls would be dressing cute in order to impress boys, so I opted for something funny in order to really stand out."

Her cheeks grew hot and she waved her hands quickly, looking up at the Jonin. "N-Not that I'm trying to make fun of you or anything. They say that imitation is the best form of flattery, right?"

Naruto laughed. "You really nailed it."

Sakura glanced down at her own costume, then at Sasuke from the corner of the eye. _"Even if that is why I chose this costume, it sounds embarrassing when she says it that way. Isn't there someone that she wants to impress?"_

"Sorry again for taking so long." She scratched the wig and then looked over the group. "What did I miss?"

"Naruto thought there was a ghost." Sakura giggled, disguising her own fear.

Natsumi giggled. "Really? But, I thought ghosts weren't real?"

"They're not." Sasuke muttered, looking over her costume and then looking away.

Kakashi chuckled. "Actually, there is one that has been sighted before."

They turned their attention to Kakashi, with Naruto and Sakura staring in shock.

"W-What? Seriously?" Sakura clasped her hands together, holding them close to her chest.

He nodded. "Sightings are very rare, but this ghost has been around since the village first founded."

"A real ghost?" Natsumi watched the Jonin carefully. "Is there a story behind it?"

"Hm..." He crossed his arms as he thought. "Well, I'm not sure if I remember all of the details exactly, but the story takes place just after the Leaf Village was first founded."

He looked at them to be sure they were all listening, then he continued. "There was a large celebration to commemorate the occasion. Many noble families came to the Village from all around."

Kakashi looked up in thought as he recalled the details of the tale. "The Lord and Lady of one such noble family, along with their son, arrived early to prepare for the event from a country now forgotten. Days before the celebration, several Leaf Shinobi dispatched to fetch the Lord and Lady's daughter, the Princess Akahime." Kakashi paused and looked at the Genin as they listened, though Sasuke kept his eyes turned away as if uninterested. "As they were escorting her from her home, Shinobi from a rival clan ambushed them. They killed the guards and princess, stealing the precious pendant she wore before vanishing without a trace. The only survivor was one of her guards, who was so distraught after the ambush that he killed himself. To this day, the mystery remains unsolved as to who was behind it, but they say that the spirit of the Princess Akahime is still bound to this world and that she searches tirelessly for her missing pendant and her family."

"Well, have fun trick-or-treating!" Kakashi chuckled, his tone changing completely as he turned to leave.

Sakura and Naruto's eyes were wide, both pale.

"Y-You can't just say something like that and then leave!" Naruto pointed at him, his hand shaking slightly.

Sakura gulped and laughed under her breath. "Naruto, don't be silly. I'm sure he's just making it up to mess with us. Right, Sasuke?"

She glanced over at him, and he met her eyes briefly.

"It sounds as though he's telling the truth." Sasuke paused. "With the exception that ghosts aren't real."

"O-Of course, I know that." Sakura blushed faintly and Kakashi chuckled with his eye crinkling shut.

"Oh, the ghost is real, all right. Guy saw her once when we were around your age. Ask him about it when you see him next."

Sakura gulped and fell silent as Naruto shuddered. Sasuke looked away, scoffing quietly under his breath. _"Those fools are actually falling for it."_

"Cool." Natsumi murmured under her breath and the three Genin looked at her. She glanced up at Kakashi. "Is there any kind of record of her death?"

"Huh?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You actually believe that the story is real?"

Natsumi nodded. "Ghost or not, it's an unsolved murder. It would be really cool if _we_ could be the ones to finally solve it, right?"

"What do you mean?"

Natsumi nudged her twin. "Just think about it; If we managed to solve a mystery that no one else has been able to solve, everyone will praise us, right?"

Naruto's mouth slowly turned upward in a grin and he laughed. "Yeah, you're right! Let's do it!"

"W-What about Trick-or-Treating?" Sakura watched the twins sharing a mischievous smile.

"You could come with us." Natsumi offered.

Naruto looked at his teammate. "And when we solve it, everyone will think that we're so amazing!"

"Well..." Sakura considered. _"But I was also really looking forward to getting candy and showing off my costume."_

"What about you?" Natsumi put her hands on her hips, looking at Sasuke now and he met her eyes. "Will you come, too? It's not as if you're excited about Halloween in the first place."

"Hmph." He crossed his arms. "Fine. I suppose it's better than doing an activity for children."

Sakura sighed and kept her eyes on the dark-haired boy. _"Well, if Sasuke wants to, then I guess I will, too."_

"Oh, alright. I'll go, too." Sakura relented and Naruto cheered.

Kakashi chuckled. "I suppose if you want to look into it, there are old records from the investigation in the archives, though it's sure to be locked."

"Locks mean nothing to me." Natsumi muttered, then laughed when three sets of eyes fell on her. "I-I mean... I think I know of a way we could get in easily."

 _"She still seems suspicious."_ Sakura looked at Natsumi sideways. _"But she is Naruto's sister, so..."_

"What are we waiting for?!" Naruto grabbed Natsumi's arm and ran ahead, pulling her along. "Let's go!"

* * *

Kakashi followed the four Genin as they walked toward the archives, passing by laughing children as they played in full costumes. As she walked, Natsumi continued to hold up the book as if reading.

 _"She's really in the holiday spirit."_ Kakashi walked with his hands in his pockets and watched her, chuckling in amusement. _"She did put quite a bit of effort into imitating me. Even going so far as to create a fake Make-Out Paradise..."_

He blinked and squinted as he examined the book in her hand, then his eyes widened broadly and his face flushed. _"T-That's no prop! That's... a legitimate copy!"_ Kakashi's paced slowed in stunned silence. _"How did she get a copy?! Minors aren't allowed to purchase such books... and... she's actually reading it!"_

He watched as her thumb moved to turn the page. _"Oh no! She's going to see...!"_ She turned the page, reading without her expression shifting at all. _"T-That scene!"_ Kakashi's eye twitched as his eyes wandered down the page. _"T-That's too indecent for someone her age! And... it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all!"_

He gulped and took in a breath, releasing it slowly as a bead of sweat formed on his brow. _"I-It's almost as if... she's read it before?!"_ The realization forced him to avert his attention. _"Who knew that Naruto's sister... was secretly so lewd?!"_

"OI, KAKASHI!"

The group turned to see Team Guy. Team Seven's jaws dropped at their costumes, with Kakashi's face losing some color.

Lee stood in the foreground, standing in a ready stance with his eyes locked on Natsumi, who looked up at him briefly, then glanced down at the novel. He looked no different than usual, with the exception of the heavy makeup that added lines to his face, aging him.

"Is... he supposed to be..." Sakura blinked, and Naruto's eye twitched as he looked over the green-clad Genin.

"Guy-sensei?" Naruto finished her sentence, and the trio watched as Lee called out to Natsumi again.

"Oi, Kakashi! Let's have a match!"

Natsumi smiled faintly under the mask and scratched the side of her head as she imitated Kakashi and looked upward. "Strange... I thought I heard something."

Lee chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "As expected, Kakashi! You're too afraid of losing to me, after all."

Natsumi looked lazily at him and lowered the book. "Well, actually, I was just getting to a good part. But, if you insist on being beaten again..."

Natsumi returned the book to her back pouch and stood with her hands in her pockets.

"Beaten?!" Lee grimaced and laughed. "That will be you! Prepare yourself, Kakashi! Let me show you the majesty of my youth!"

"This guy..." Natsumi sighed as Lee rushed at her, dodging his mild strikes easily, keeping her hands in her pockets as she did.

Lee met her eye and winked and the corner of her mouth twitched in a faint smile, and he increased the speed and strength of his strikes. Natsumi leapt back to avoid a sweeping kick, performing a perfect backflip with her hands still secured neatly into her pockets as she landed gracefully.

"Wow!" Naruto stared at his twin. "So cool!"

Sakura watched the mock battle, crossing her arms. _"It seems like they... choreographed this beforehand? Either way... Natsumi's imitation of Kakashi-sensei is spot on... and her skill is impressive, as usual... no one else could have managed to copy him so successfully."_

"Don't underestimate me, Kakashi!" Lee took a stance and narrowed his eyes. "I will defeat you and make you admit that you can't compete with the power of youth!"

"You're so persistent." Natsumi bit her thumb and pressed her hand to the ground. A small burst of smoke appeared and a small shadowy creature emerged, leaping at Lee and pretending to bite at his neck.

 _"That's...!"_ Kakashi recognized the dog and blinked in surprise. _"So, Pakkun was in on this, too?"_

"I guess I'll have to end this quickly so I can get back to my novel." Natsumi revealed her left eye and locked onto Lee's gaze. "Sharingan!"

Lee froze in place, then fell over slowly, pretending to be immobilized. After a moment, he burst up, sitting cross-legged, and laughed loudly.

Natsumi laughed as well, then held out a hand to help him up.

"Natsumi-chan, excellent form! We should fight sometime!"

Natsumi giggled. "Sure! That would be fun."

"Next time, I won't go easy on you!" Lee held up a thumbs-up. "Even if you aren't my rival... I will always fight you seriously."

"I look forward to it." Natsumi smiled and recovered her left eye.

"Lee!" Guy hugged his student suddenly with his eyes wet. "What a wonderful performance! The creativity! The spontaneity! It's overwhelming with the spark of youth!"

Guy turned his eyes on her and he gripped her shoulders. "And you, Natsumi! The beacon of youth shines brightly in you as well! How worthy you are to portray my eternal rival!"

Natsumi blinked and laughed under her breath, leaning back from him slightly. "O-Oh, thank you."

Kakashi held up a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. Guy released Natsumi and turned to the Jonin, putting his hands on his hips.

"Uh... Guy?" He looked over the man's strange attire. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Me?" He glanced down at himself, then clenched his fist and struck a pose. "Why, I am the embodiment of youth!"

Guy had dressed in shorts and a polo shirt, both several sizes too small for his physique, along with a pair of brightly colored suspenders and a ballcap.

"That's... youth?" Kakashi examined the costume.

"Of course!" Guy grinned. "You should remember; you challenged me to dress more youthfully than you!" He looked Kakashi over and then crossed his arms, frowning. "And you didn't even bother changing your appearance at all, so it seems I win this challenge."

Kakashi chuckled and smiled, his eye crinkling. "Actually, I was planning on going without my mask for the holiday."

All eyes turned to him, wide.

"WHAAT?!" Team Seven exclaimed and watched eagerly as Kakashi reached up to slowly slip the mask down to reveal....

"Bandages?!" Their mouths hung open as Kakashi revealed the lower half of his face, which was covered in costume bandages.

"That's right!" Kakashi smiled at Guy and pointed to the bandages. "To be immortal as a mummy... isn't that the true embodiment of youth?"

Guy's mouth gaped and he stared at the Jonin. "Eternal life! Eternal youth!" He closed his eyes, then exhaled and clutched his fist. "I must admit that you win this time... but make no mistake, Kakashi! There's no way I will lose to you next year!"

Natsumi giggled at Kakashi's 'costume' and looked down at Pakkun, and carefully scooped him up into her arms. "Thank you, Pakkun, for going along with this. It was fun." She kissed the top of his head and retrieved a treat from a pocket in the flak jacket to offer it to him.

"Oh, uh... You're welcome." The dog smiled, then nibbled the treat out of her hand and she scratched under his chin. She walked over to Kakashi, where Pakkun hopped out of her arms and onto his shoulder.

"So, you're a part of this, too?" Kakashi chuckled and Pakkun licked the crumbs from his lips.

"I asked him weeks ago if I could summon him just once for authenticity." Natsumi's cheeks warmed slightly as he watched her explain. She held out a few more treats, which Pakkun gratefully took. "I'm thankful that he agreed to play along."

"I see." Kakashi patted her head and then scratched Pakkun's head. "Be careful; too many treats and you'll get fat."

Pakkun licked his lips again and looked at Natsumi, who passed him the last treat with a smile. "Sorry, I'm all out now."

"That's alright." The dog nodded. "Even though they are delicious."

"I'm glad you like them." Natsumi giggled. "Sena made them herself. I'll be sure to tell her that they were a hit. Maybe she'll make another batch, then."

"Natsumi, that was so cool!" Naruto tugged at her arm.

"Did you two plan this beforehand?" Sakura looked between the redhead and Lee.

"Nope!" Natsumi smiled and shook her head. "But it was a fun coincidence."

"Wait!" Naruto blinked. "That entire scene... was unplanned?"

Lee nodded and held up another thumbs-up, which Natsumi returned.

"Natsumi, your costume is really good." TenTen smiled as the rest of her team approached. "And Sakura, yours is really cute."

"Thank you!" Natsumi smiled and looked over her elegant red and yellow Longpao, with its elaborate designs and gold embroidery. Her hair was brought up in a formal style and adorned with a large headpiece. "You look great, too!"

"Thanks." Sakura smiled at her. "What are you?"

"An ancient princess." TenTen twirled in the gown, then smoothed its long skirts and pointed at Neji, who remained quiet. "And he's my Samurai bodyguard."

Neji stood back, wearing traditional armor.

"Huh. It suits you." Naruto nodded in approval.

"It seems Natsumi makes a better Kakashi than even Kakashi himself." Asuma approached with his team, accompanied by Kurenai and hers.

Natsumi blushed at the compliment. "I wouldn't say that, but thank you."

"Oh?" Guy turned his attention to the new Jonin. "You look nice."

Natsumi and Sakura nodded in agreement at Kurenai, who was dressed in a red Victorian gown, complete with a matching scarlet parasol and bustled skirt. Asuma was dressed in the same period, with a formal vintage tailcoat, double-breasted vest, neatly-pressed pants, and a top hat.

"Wow. I guess you weren't the only one who went all out." Naruto nudged his twin with a laugh.

"And you look..." Asuma and Kurenai looked over Guy and struggled to maintain even expressions. "...Youthful?"

Guy grinned and glanced at Kakashi. " _They_ appreciate and understand the true essence of youth."

Kakashi shrugged and let out a small sigh.

"Oh, Natsumi-chan." Hinata looked at her, though had trouble keeping eye contact. "Your costume is very nice."

Natsumi smiled. "Thank you! I love yours, too!" She stepped closer to the Hyuga, examining her dress and the small set of white wings on her back. "Is this handmade?"

Hinata nodded slowly and Natsumi's smile broadened. "Really?? It's beautiful! You're really talented, Hinata! And you look really pretty as an angel, too."

Hinata blushed shyly and averted her eyes. "T-Thank you, Natsumi..."

"H-huh?" Kiba blinked and narrowed his eyes, then widened them. "T-That's Natsumi?" He blushed faintly and scratched his cheek. "What a good costume. I didn't even recognize you."

"I recognized her." A tall boy dressed as a vampire spoke in a low tone.

"Who're you?" Naruto looked up at him, and most of his face was covered by the high collar of the vampiric cape.

"It's obviously Shino." Sakura crossed her arms at him.

"I knew that!" Naruto snapped and turned to Kiba. "What are you supposed to be? A monkey?"

Kiba glared and Akamaru barked. "I'm a werewolf! Isn't it obvious?!"

Naruto scratched his head and shrugged. "It just looks like you're hairier than usual."

"Why, you!" Kiba snarled and clutched his collar, prompting Naruto to do the same.

"You're always so noisy." Shikamaru muttered and put his hands into his pockets.

Ino smirked and looked over Sakura. Her own costume consisted of a pair of black cat ears, a black, ruffled skirt, a black tail, and a black furred top with long sleeves, a low neckline, and cut to expose her midriff.

"Hey, Sakura." Ino crossed her arms. "I thought you were going to outdo me?" She held her hand up to her mouth to whisper. "Your costume is cute, but I doubt Sasuke is impressed by such a childish dress."

Sakura's face flushed and she looked between their costumes. _"She's right! Her costume is much more mature..."_ She made a face and crossed her arms over her chest. _"And it only emphasizes how much more of a woman she looks."_

"You know what?" Natsumi leaned in, interrupting as she looked between the two girls in a whisper, putting her arms around their shoulders. "Sasuke doesn't care about you, or your costumes, or about Halloween. Stop wasting valuable time worrying about his opinion already and just enjoy life."

The girls both flushed furiously and pulled away from her.

"W-What do you know about romance?" Ino hissed in a quiet voice.

 _"S-She startled me!"_ Sakura blushed and sighed softly. _"But maybe she's right. What if I am wasting my time? What if Sasuke never notices me, no matter what I do?"_

Natsumi smirked faintly and pulled out the book from her pouch, holding it up for them.

"This isn't a prop, you know." She whispered and giggled, then flipped some of the pages so they could skim some of the writing, their faces growing hotter. She returned the book to her pouch. "I've read the entire series three times, and one of my best friends is a mature woman with a lot of dating experience. I think I probably know more about romance than the both of you combined."

Their eyes widened and they stared at her. _"N-No way! S-She's... a pervert?!"_

Natsumi giggled again at their expressions still whispering. "If you want my advice, I think you need to stop trying so hard to get a certain person's attention. It seems desperate and clingy, and his personality is more thoughtful and introverted. While opposites can attract, if you try to force your affection on him, he'll only pull further away."

She shrugged. "But, what do I know?"

Ino opened her mouth to protest, then shut it and pressed her lips tightly together. "Hmph."

A steady crunching came from Choji, who was eating handfuls of chips, dressed in a white chef's costume, minding his own business.

"So," Kiba turned to Natsumi, his cheeks warming as she met his eyes. "What'cha doing? You're not gonna get any candy?"

Natsumi smiled and shook her head. "We're going to solve a centuries-old mystery."

"Whaaat?!" Lee's eyes widened and he clenched his fists in excitement. "That sounds exciting!"

"Hm?" Shikamaru tilted his head in slight interest. "What kind of mystery?"

Naruto chuckled and crossed his arms, holding them over his head. "The unsolved murder of a princess, ya know!"

The other's eyes widened slightly and Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Is that so?"

Naruto nodded quickly. "Mhm, mhm!"

"A murdered princess?" Kurenai's gaze scanned the Genin, then rested on Kakashi.

"Oh, yes." He put his hands in his pockets. "You may have heard of the legend of the Princess Akahime's ghost."

Kurenai shook her head. "I haven't."

Guy froze at the name and the color slowly drained from his face. "P-Princess A-Akahime?"

Asuma turned to Kurenai. "It's an old story about a princess who was murdered for her mystical pendant. Supposedly, her ghost wanders the forests, looking for her it."

"Is that so?" Kurenai mused, then saw Guy from the corner of her eye. "Are you alright?"

"Guy saw the ghost firsthand before." Kakashi smiled, crinkling his eyes, thumbing at his rival. "He was utterly terrified when he told me about it."

Guy cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "It seems you've misremembered. I was, of course, a bit startled, but youth overpowers fears."

Lee turned to his teacher with wide eyes. "Guy-sensei, you've seen the ghost?!"

"I have." He placed a hand on Lee's shoulder, though it was trembling slightly. "I remember it well; I was hard at work training in the forests east of Kohona, the same age as you."

* * *

_"Nine-hundred and one. Nine-hundred and two." A young Guy counted each push up in the forests' clearing. "Nine-hundred and three. Nine-hundred and—"_

_He stopped as the wind carried the soft sound of crying through the trees. He pushed himself up to a stand using only his thumb and forefingers, then looked around._

_"Hello? Who's there?"_

_The crying grew louder and he moved through the trees, drawing nearer until he saw a beautiful girl in an elegant kimono weeping under a tall maple tree, whose brilliant red leaves closely matched her long hair that fell to the ground around her._

_He blinked in surprise and stepped closer._

_"Hello, miss! Are you alright?"_

_She looked up at him, her crying quieted, and she wiped her eyes._

_"Who are you? Have you come to hurt me, as well?"_

_Guy shook his head quickly. "No, of course not!" He looked around. "Are you in danger? Was someone else here?"_

_She wiped her cheeks with the long, billowy sleeves and nodded. "An assassin tried to kill me, but I got away and ran until I found this place and now I'm lost."_

_"Oh, that's terrible!" He held out his hand for her to take. "I'll protect you!"_

_The girl smiled faintly and took his hand, standing. He blinked at the unusual coldness of her hand._

_"You're so cold! Have you been out here long?"_

_She nodded. "I think so. I can't remember exactly." Her expression fell. "For some reason, I can't remember very much at all."_

_Guy grinned and pointed to himself. "You don't have to worry about being alone anymore! Might Guy is here to help you!"_

_She giggled and he blushed faintly at the delicate and pleasant sound._

_"Might Guy? Is that your name?"_

_He nodded. "What's yours?"_

_"I am Princess Akahime, daughter of Lady Kuri and Lord Ichiro. From Uzushiogakure."_

_"P-Princess?!" Guy's eyes widened broadly and he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "Your Highness!"_

_Akahime giggled and tugged on his hand. "You don't have to bow. It's a little embarrassing."_

_"O-Oh." His blush deepened and he looked at their hands, then stood._

_She saw his headband and smiled faintly. "Are you from the Village Hidden the Leaves? That's where I was headed, before—" Her eyes fell and her voice quieted to a whisper. "before the assassin struck."_

_He watched her expression fall, then she forced a dignified smile as she caught his eye._

_"Where is your family? I can help you get back to them."_

_"No!" She covered her mouth quickly and looked away, letting go of his hand. "I'm sorry. My parents and my brother are at your village right now, but I can't go back just yet. My amulet is missing."_

_"Your amulet?" Guy scratched his head, and she nodded._

_"Yes. My pendant is a powerful and ancient Shinobi artifact. Mother and Father entrusted it to me. They'll be upset if they learn that it's gone missing, and it's important that I find it before it falls into the wrong hands."_

_"Then, I'll help you to find it!" He clutched her hands and gave her a dazzling smile._

_Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Really? You'd do that?"_

_He nodded quickly. "Of course! Let's get started right away!"_

_"But..." She bit her lip. "What if we run into the assassin?"_

_"You'll have the amazing Might Guy to protect you! So, don't worry!"_

_She giggled and nodded. "Alright. Thank you."_

_"Where should we look first?" Guy scanned the area, holding his hand up as he did. "When did you last have it?"_

_"Um..." The Princess thought. "I know for certain that I had it in the carriage. I was holding it as I napped. Traveling always makes me sleepy." She bit her lip again. "And then... I was awoken when the assassin pulled me out of the carriage. My guards were all dead by then."_

_She paused, then continued slowly. "I ran as quickly as I could once I got away from him. Then, I became lost, and it was only once I reached this tree that I realized that my pendant was missing. I'm not sure where it could be."_

_"Then I'll just have to search the entire forest for it!" Guy clenched his fist confidently. "I won't let you down, Princess!"_

_They searched for many hours, under fallen trees, in thickets, and even in the rivers and streams. Once the set was low on the horizon, Guy and the Princess returned to the maple tree and sat underneath._

_"I'm sure the assassin took it and that it's long gone by now." She sighed deeply, wiping away a tear. "What am I going to tell mother and father?"_

_Guy blushed and touched her hand, and it was still ice cold. "We'll find it! Don't give up!"_

_"But, it's getting late now, and soon it will be dark. It will be impossible to find it."_

_He thought for a moment, then leapt to his feet. "I know! I'm sure there would be plenty of people that would help us look! Let's go back to the village and form a search party!"_

_Her eyes filled with panic and she shook her head quickly. "No, I can't!" She balled her hands into fists on her lap. "I... I can't face my parents without the amulet."_

_"But..."_

_"Please, you go on ahead." The Princess smiled sweetly. "I'll wait here for you, I promise. I just... I can't face Mother and Father yet. I hope you understand."_

_He nodded slowly. "Yes, of course." He bowed his head. "Don't worry, fair princess. I promise that I'll return soon! Then, we'll find your amulet and your honor will be restored!"_

_Akahime leaned forward to kiss his forehead, and he blushed deeply._

_"Thank you, Might Guy. Hurry back."_

* * *

Guy sighed with his arms crossed and closed his eyes briefly as he finished recalling the memory.

"What happened next?!" Lee leaned in closer, his eyes wide.

Guy opened his eyes and sighed again. "I returned to the village, eager to help the Princess. I found my father and explained it all to him, and then he explained to me that she was a poor, lost soul whose youth had been stolen from her. What a terrible, cruel fate."

Tears flowed from his eyes and he shook his head. "Of course, I didn't want to believe him at first, so he accompanied me back to the maple tree where the Princess had promised to wait. She wasn't there, but my father showed me the memorial the village founders had erected behind the tree in her honor. I never saw the Princess again, but I'm sure that she's still out in those woods, lonely as she diligently searches."

Lee's eyes overflowed with tears. "Guy-sensei! I must finish what you started and help her soul find peace!"

"Lee!" Guy's lip quivered and he hugged his pupil, while the others watched in unsure silence. "You are truly a shining star of hot-blooded youth, with a passionate heart! I believe in you!"

"Guy-sensei!"

Natsumi laughed quietly under her breath, and scratched her cheek awkwardly, unknowingly doing exactly the same as her twin.

"This is... weird." Naruto muttered and Natsumi nodded.

"In a sweet way, I suppose?"

They shared a look and then shrugged, and Natsumi took a step forward.

"Lee, why don't we begin our investigation now?"

He turned to her, still emotional, but held up a high five. "Yes, of course! Let's save the Princess!"


	2. 2018 Halloween Special Part Two

* **This is a continuation of the 2018 Halloween Special. This is non-canon to the MBAJ timeline.***

* * *

"Alright, here we are." Natsumi smiled and pointed at the simple building that stood before them.

"What's this place?" Naruto stopped walking and looked it over.

"It's the public records." Sakura answered for him, then turned to Natsumi as she led the group. "But, I thought Kakashi-sensei said that the records would be impossible to get? Anyone can access these records."

"Well, yes." Natsumi nodded. "But, there might be some information stored here that is still useful. The actual investigation file will be under lock and key."

"How are we going to get it?" TenTen asked.

"We're going to split up." Natsumi crossed her arms and looked between them.

"W-What?" Naruto crossed his own arms and looked at his twin. "No way!"

"It's the best plan." Natsumi pointed at the door. "I'll need you guys to go in there and ask Oto-sama for any information about the Princess that she might have, while I sneak into the sealed records and classified archives."

"Alone?" Shikamaru looked her over.

Natsumi met his eyes. "Yes, alone. Why?"

Several of the Genin looked between themselves and back to the redhead. She sighed.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm the best one for the job."

"What do you mean?" Kiba scratched his cheek, making a face. "You don't think we could do it?"

Natsumi sighed again, then retrieved a Kunai knife and began to draw blueprints in the dirt.

"Let me instead put it this way. The Villages' oldest artifacts and records are stored in high-security vaults underground. Some of the most valuable and ancient Shinobi relics, as well as some of the most top-secret records are stored here. As a result, it's guarded day-and-night by senior ANBU members."

"A-ANBU?" They blinked and she nodded.

"Yes, so, unless you're able to take out ANBU members or slip by them unnoticed, it has to be me."

"And what makes you so qualified?" Ino raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Does anyone else know the exact layout, the guard's rotation schedules, and the location of the secret entrance?" She looked at them, smirking faintly. "No? I didn't think so."

"It's almost as if... you've done this before." TenTen watched Natsumi.

Her cheeks warmed slightly. "Uh... well..." She smiled. "It's not important."

"Wait!" Naruto pointed at her with wide eyes. "Y-You've stolen from the ANBU before?"

Natsumi laughed quietly under her breath and shrugged. "Well, I've never _stolen_ anything before... but... sneaking in to read scrolls from time-to-time without taking them from the premises... I've done that."

Their mouths gaped open.

"N-Natsumi-chan...." Kiba blushed faintly. "Y-You're so cool."

Naruto pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows. "How come you've never told your own brother about it before?"

"Because you're terrible at keeping secrets." She giggled.

"Hmph." He turned away. "But, I'm your brother."

Natsumi tapped the end of the stick on the blueprint she drew.

"In the cellar of the public archives, there's a way for me to get in undetected. Considering how long ago the Princess was killed, those records are probably _here."_ She tapped one of the rooms. "Getting there is pretty straightforward, and, because it's the oldest section, I'll have the advantage of being able to avoid the main halls where most of the guards patrol."

Natsumi drew a line to show the path. "Even so, there are still security cameras and the ANBU, but getting in and out is the easy part. What will take the longest is to find the exact files we need. The organization in the older section isn't very good."

Natsumi crossed her arms and looked over the map.

"Altogether, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes. During that time, you should be able to get plenty of information from Oto-sama. She'll tell you anything you need to know if you compliment her. She can be a little vain, but she's sweet overall."

"You can't just expect us to just do nothing while you do the hard work!" Naruto shook his head.

"Naruto..." Natsumi pressed her palms together, taking in a breath and releasing it slowly. "If I get caught stealing from these vaults, I won't just get in trouble. They'll probably ban me from any Shinobi work and I will no longer be a Ninja. That would be the most lenient punishment."

"What would be the worst?" Sakura asked.

Natsumi smiled, too sweetly for her tone. "Worst case scenario I'd be branded a traitor and either exiled from the village or executed."

The color drained from their faces and she patted Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm alright with the consequences, but I won't let anyone take the fall for something that was my idea. I know the place well, so if I go alone, I have the strongest chance of success."

"Y-You can't just expect me to let you do this! Not after saying that!"

"Naruto," Natsumi met his eyes. "I don't want to, but if you won't cooperate, I promise that I will use my paralysis Jutsu on you."

A chill ran down his spine and he nodded slowly. "F-Fine. But if you're not back in time, I'm going to find you."

"You seriously expect us to believe that you're capable of sneaking past ANBU as a Genin?" Shikamaru raised a brow.

Natsumi returned the Kunai to the sheath on her thigh and put a hand on her hip.

"Oh, you're right, I _don't_ know what I'm talking about."

She held up a hand, formed a sign, and then her body slowly began to fade away until they could no longer see her.

"S-She's gone!" Naruto looked around. "Where'd she go?!"

"I'm right here." Natsumi giggled.

"You're invisible!" They looked at the empty space where she stood.

 _"Impressive."_ Sasuke stared at where she had been. _"Where did she learn to do such advanced Ninjutsu?"_

"Okay, I'm going to go in now. See you guys soon." Her voice faded away and Naruto grumbled to himself.

"I guess we should go in now and talk to this 'Oto.'" Sakura looked at her teammate, who nodded begrudgingly.

Shikamaru led them inside, while Neji stayed behind.

Inside the building was well lit and filled with bookshelves and filing cabinets. A desk stood in the corner, where an old woman sat.

The Genin approached slowly, and she glanced up from her writing to look at them.

"Visitors?" She chuckled and turned in her hair to meet their eyes with a small smile. A long pipe sat on one of her hands, filling the air with a bittersweet aroma as incense were lit on her desk. She wore heavy stage makeup and an elegant geisha's kimono and blew a ring of smoke in their direction. Her long, white hair was pulled up in a formal style and adorned with flowers. "I have no candy here if that's what you're looking for."

"We're looking for any information about Princess Akahime." Shikamaru said plainly.

"Oh?" The old woman chuckled and returned the pipe to her mouth. "I didn't think anyone cared for ghost stories anymore, particularly at your age."

Lee slammed his hands on the counter with his eyes moist. "We heard the terrible, tragic story and we need to help her soul to rest in peace! Can you help us?"

Oto chuckled and blew smoke at him. "So serious..." She smirked faintly. "We do have some information about her, but..." She glanced at the group. "We are technically closed at this time. You'll have to come back tomorrow, I'm afraid."

Sakura looked at an old photo of a beautiful young woman that hung on the wall behind the old woman. Oto followed her eyes and posed the same as the woman in the photo.

"I see you have a wonderful eye for art and beauty."

Sakura looked from the photo to the old woman. _"That was her? But she was so... young and pretty. She didn't age very well..."_

Sakura nodded, then forced a small smile, her eye twitching as she lied. "Of course I recognized it as you. You don't look any different."

"O-ho!" Oto posed and patted her cheeks, beaming. "You're too kind, too kind."

Leaning forward to look more closely at Sakura, she drew in a large puff from her pipe and exhaled, resembling a dragon.

"So, young lady, you're interested in the Princess Akahime? What would you like to know about her?"

Sakura stepped forward toward the strange looking woman. "W-Well... we heard the story of how she died and wanted to know more. Is there a book about her anywhere?"

"Hm..." Oto blew several more smoke rings of various sizes and then nodded. "There is one. It was written by the most beautiful woman in all of Konoha, of course."

She opened one of the drawers of the desk and pulled out a large, leather-bound book, and set it on the desk in front of Sakura.

The Genin gathered closer as Sakura opened the book and turned to the first page of neat handwriting.

"I've been working on this book for many years now." Oto chewed on the end of her pipe proudly. "I've gathered every tale of spirits and lost souls from all over the country and compiled them into one complete work."

Reaching over, the woman turned the pages until she reached the final section of the book and pointed at the first page of the tale.

"You must really like ghost stories." TenTen met the old woman's dark eyes.

"Oh, they're not stories." She chuckled. "Each lost soul I have documented is absolutely real. I've seen each one that I have written about with my own eyes."

Lee looked at her brightly. "Y-You have?!"

"Yes, of course." She turned the page to reveal beautiful sketches of a tall maple in the center of a peaceful clearing. "That's how I was able to draw so accurately."

"Amazing..." Sakura muttered at the art.

"Yes, I am, aren't I?" Oto laughed and then her eyes fell onto the portrait as Sakura turned the page and she swooned over the sketch of the handsome, red-haired man with vibrant green eyes. "Ah, I remember Yuudai well. He was always so handsome. I was quite jealous when I'd heard the news that he had gotten married. I was devastated for weeks."

"Yuudai?" Sakura looked down at the portrait. "Who's that?"

"Why, the Princess' older brother." Oto chuckled and they looked at her.

"But... he lived so long ago. How did you know him?" Naruto squinted at her. "How old _are_ you?"

Oto pursed her lips and then blew smoke in his face.

"The people from Uzushiogakure were exceptionally long-lived. They could live for hundreds of years, aging very slowly, and outlive several generations of families from other villages."

"Uzushiogakure?" Shikamaru thought. "I've never heard of a country with that name before."

"Oh, it's long gone now." Oto's voice softened.

"Gone?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Oto nodded. "The entire country was completely destroyed in the last Great Ninja War. All but a handful of its people were killed."

Their eyes widened slightly. "But... why?" Sakura's eyes fell back on the portrait.

"The people of Uzushiogakure were exceptionally powerful. They had unnatural levels of Chakra, the incredible ability to heal others, and the skill of using simple hand signs to trap and seal even the most dangerous of demons. They were greatly feared by most nations. Even after they allied with Konohagakure, they had many enemies."

Oto turned the page to show a landscape of an island country, where the water surrounding was filled with whirlpools. Tall temples and buildings lined the landscape, and a sunrise illuminated the background.

"No way..."

"So, it was real?" Shikamaru examined the picture.

"Oh, yes. It was very real. I went there several times as a child." Oto turned several pages and pointed at the family portrait. Each member of the family had bright red hair and regal clothing. "Here is the Lord and Lady, with Yuudai as a young man. They were there when the Leaf Village was first founded." She chuckled. "Of course, I wasn't born then, but I copied this picture from a painting my grandmother had done for the occasion."

"What about the Princess?" Lee asked.

"Ah, of course." Oto turned the page and pointed at the picture. The maple stood in the center of the drawing, but the Princess stood beside it with one hand on its trunk. Her hair was straight and long, nearly touching the ground, and a cluster of white plum blossoms adorned her hair. Her exquisite silk gown was a soft pink, and the sash tied around her waist was a deep violet color that matched her eyes.

Naruto's eyes widened. " _That's_ the Princess?!" He stammered. "I-It looks just like Natsumi!"

The group stared at the girl in stunned silence.

"The resemblance is uncanny..." Sakura muttered.

"Is it?" Oto took another look at her drawing. "Hm. I never realized it before, but it seems you're right."

"What happened to her family?" Ino asked, and Oto shook her head.

"All died in the siege, I'm afraid. There's nothing left of their home except for ruins and graves."

The Genin fell silent and Shikamaru picked up the book, reading the passages carefully.

"There isn't much detail here about what happened." He commented.

"I'm afraid not." Oto puffed on her pipe. "After her body was found at that tree, her family left the founding celebration to return to their home and bury their beloved daughter. Lord Hashirama had the monument erected in the exact spot that she had been found, and then all information regarding the investigation was classified and stored."

"Were you able to get any details when you saw the ghost?" Shikamaru flipped through the pages, scanning the information carefully.

"Spirits do not remember their own death." Oto held her pipe in her hand, then rested it on the desk. "Those that do commonly become twisted and dangerous."

"What's so important about her pendant that her soul is still searching for it?" Sakura followed along as Shikamaru read in his head.

"The amulet?" Oto smiled and shook her head. "It's priceless."

"Kakashi-sensei said it was powerful." Naruto crossed his arms. "What does it do?"

"Well, perhaps one of its most intriguing qualities is that it chooses its wearer. It's very selective."

"Chooses?" They asked.

"Oh, yes. It was said that it would glow in the presence of the chosen bearer and grant them a vision."

"A vision? It shows the future?" Kiba asked.

"And the past or present, as well." Oto returned the pipe to her mouth.

"Amazing." Ino murmured.

"That's not all." Oto chuckled and directed them to the page where a sketch of the amulet filled two pages. "For as long as you remained its chosen, the pendant could increase your Chakra ten-thousand-fold and grant you everlasting youth and vitality."

"I-Immortality?" The exclaimed simultaneously.

Shikamaru nodded to himself as he thought. "It's no wonder that someone was willing to kill for it. If you possessed that pendant, you would be invincible."

"How do we help the Princess to pass over?" Lee tapped his chin in thought.

"You find her pendant, of course." Oto smirked. "Once her spirit is reconciled with the pendant, she will be at peace."

Shikamaru thought for a moment and rifled through the remaining pages of the entry.

"You wouldn't happen to know where we should start searching, would you?"

Oto released long tendrils of smoke from her nostrils.

"I'm afraid not. The details of the investigation were kept secret and the murder itself was kept quiet. Only certain people were privy to that information. If it became common knowledge that the pendant was lost, any number of people would have come looking, and it would have fallen into the wrong hands."

She chewed on the end of her pipe thoughtfully.

"Although..." She shook her head. "No, nevermind."

"What?" Sakura asked as Oto tapped the end of her pipe to her chin.

"Well, the formal records are all sealed, but, as far as I know, the survivor's cabin is still standing."

"The survivor?" Shikamaru tilted his head slightly. "What survivor?"

"Oh, that's right." Sakura softly hit the heel of her fist into the open palm of her other hand. "Kakashi-sensei did say that one of the Princess' guards survived the attack."

Oto nodded. "Yes. Hisoka Fukui. He lived in a cabin Northeast of Konohagakure, only a few kilometers from the Fire Temple. He and his brothers were sent to escort the Princess from her home, and he was the only survivor." She exhaled and blew one large smoke ring. "The attack traumatized him so much that my grandmother said he had gone insane, and, consumed with guilt as the sole survivor, killed himself."

Oto paused and looked over the Genin. "If you are truly interested in finding the amulet, I would suggest searching his home for clues. Perhaps he kept a journal."

"Thank you, Oto-sama." Sakura bowed her head respectfully.

Oto returned the gesture. "You're welcome. From one lovely woman to another, I hope that you are successful and bring peace to the Princess."

Sakura blushed faintly at the praise. _"Lovely woman?! I'm... lovely?"_

Ino glared at Sakura, crossing her arms. _"L-Lovely? Billboard brow is lovely?!"_

"And, if you do succeed, do come back and relay the details to me. I would love to finally document a happy ending for Princess Akahime's tragic tale."

"We will!" Sakura waved and the group turned to leave. Before they could, Oto cleared her throat.

"One more thing..." They turned to see her and her expression darkened. "I must warn you."

"Warn us?" Naruto scratched his head. "About what?"

Oto pointed the end of her pipe at them and released a slow puff of smoke that circled around them.

"Normally, lost souls are rather harmless and peaceful. They have little understanding of the passage of time since their death and lack the memories of their demise. If a peaceful spirit is told the truth, their memories return to them, and the trauma of such terrible memories tends to... twist them."

"Twist them?" Sakura shuddered. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." The swirling smoke shifted in form, resembling a ravenous dragon that watched them eagerly. "That many of the evil spirits, poltergeists, and demons you have heard of in bedtime stories, were once peaceful, lost souls like the Princess Akahime."

They froze in place.

"W-What?" TenTen stuttered.

"Tread very carefully, children." Oto warned, and the wispy dragon floated around her body, keeping his grey eyes on them. "When dealing with spirits, you could quite easily turn a peaceful soul into a dangerous one. You mustn't reveal to the Princess that she is dead or how much time has passed, or else..." The dragon grew in size suddenly and flew at them with its mouth open wide, then transformed back into a puff of harmless smoke the moment before its jaws were to snap around them.

Oto chuckled and returned the pipe to her mouth. "Good luck, and have a happy Halloween."

They blinked and found themselves suddenly standing outside. Looking toward the door, a collective shiver passed through their group.

"W-What happened?" Naruto stammered and looked around, the color drained from his face. "H-How did we get out here all of a sudden?!"

Sakura glanced back toward the door and shuddered. _"That woman... she's even more mysterious and scary than Natsumi!"_

* * *

Neji watched the group enter the building and he turned in the direction Natsumi had indicated. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them quickly. _"Byukugan!"_

His gaze intensified and he scanned the area until he recognized Natsumi's form. The technique that made her invisible cloaked her in an even layer of Chakra covering her body to reflect light and even altered the appearance of her Chakra. Her figure appeared fragmented, like stained glass, and blurred her form enough to make it difficult to pinpoint her Chakra points.

 _"This is a highly advanced technique... I've never heard of such a technique existing before..."_ His gaze followed her through the hallways as she stepped lightly with cautionary precision as multiple ANBU guards passed by her without detecting her presence. Taking a catlike stance, she followed the path and entered one of the vaults without drawing the attention of a single guard. _"She's on an entirely different level than Naruto. It's difficult to believe that they are twins."_

After several minutes of searching the room, Natsumi retrieved a small box from a low shelf and opened it. She examined its contents, reading a scroll contained within, and then returned it to the box. She cautiously retraced her steps, exiting the underground chamber and made her way back to the original meeting spot.

Still invisible, she reached out to poke Neji's cheek, though he scowled and knocked her hand away.

"Cheater." Natsumi giggled and became visible once more, smiling as she held the small box with one hand, resting it against her hip. Her eyes wandered over to the door of the public archives and Neji's sight returned to normal. "Huh. I didn't expect them to take this long."

She sighed and set the box gently down on the ground, then pulled off her wig and headband, muttering to herself. "Man, this thing gets really hot and itchy, ya know." Shaking her head, her hair fell down to her shoulders. Then she pulled a small case from a pocket, plucked out the red contact from her left eye, carefully stored it inside its case, and returned it to the pocket as she blinked.

"That's better." She muttered. "I didn't expect it to be so uncomfortable."

Finally, she unzipped the flak jacket and let out a breath, putting her hands on her hips. "How does anyone wear this all the time? It's too hot."

She caught Neji watching her from the corner of her eye and crossed her arms over her chest as she blushed.

"Did you wait out here for me just to peep?!"

His eyes widened slightly, then he scowled and turned away, remaining silent.

"Hmph. Closet pervert." Natsumi muttered and her gaze lingered on him for a moment, then she let out a breath and sat cross-legged in front of the box, removed its lid, and began to sort through its contents. Reading the first scroll she picked up, her expression turned serious as she concentrated. After a moment, she glanced back up at the Hyuga.

"You could sit down and help me go through this before they finish up, ya know."

He blinked and his cheeks warmed slightly at her blunt address, then, after a moment, he relented and sat silently, retrieving a second scroll from the box and began to read it.

Natsumi's eyes widened as she continued to read and she lowered the scroll with her mouth open. _This is...!_ She reread the section and she smiled broadly. _Wait until Naruto sees this!_

The rest of their group appeared outside of the building several moments later, their faces missing some color. Naruto saw Natsumi, then smiled and ran toward her.

Natsumi leaped to her feet, rushing toward him until they met halfway and skidded to a stop before they crashed into one another.

"Wait until you hear this!" The twins exclaimed simultaneously, then they blinked and laughed.

"You go first." They echoed each other again.

"The Princess looks just like you!"

"The Princess was an Uzumaki!"

The twins blinked and paused, processing what the other had said.

"What?"

"The Princess!" Natsumi held up the scroll and pointed to the faded writing. "She was a member of the Uzumaki clan!" She grasped Naruto's shoulder with her eyes wide in excitement. "Do you know what this means?! There might be other Uzumaki out there, right now! We're not the only ones!"

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked over the passage intently. "W-We're... related to a Princess?'

"Well," Natsumi eyed the scroll again. "It was a pretty large clan, so our ancestors could have been one of the other ones, but—"

"Hee hee!" He grinned and put his hands on his hips, turning to the other Genin. "Didja hear that? We're descended from royalty!"

Sakura and Ino blinked, their eyes twitching. "W-What?"

"See?! See?!" Naruto pointed at the scroll. "It says right here! 'The Princess Akahime, of clan Uzumaki.'"

The group read the passage and made a face.

 _"N-No way! Naruto can't be descended from royalty!"_ Inner Sakura shook her head quickly, and she groaned out loud. "I can't believe it..."

Natsumi carefully rolled up the scroll and looked at Naruto. "What was that you said?"

"Huh?" He looked up, crossing his arms for a moment, then remembered and snapped his fingers. "That's right!" He grabbed her shoulders. "You look just like the Princess! You're identical, ya know!"

Natsumi's eyes widened. "I... what?"

"It's true." Shikamaru nodded. "That lady Oto showed us portraits of her."

"I... look like the Princess?" Natsumi paused. " _Exactly_ like her?" The group nodded. "Wow..." She paused again. "That seems... strange."

"The resemblance was uncanny." Sakura looked at the girl. _"If I imagine her hair longer, and if she wore that dress, it would be as if the Princess were alive again."_

Kiba looked at Natsumi, realizing finally that she had unzipped the flak jacket. The dark shirt underneath clung tightly to her and he blushed as he was unable to tear his eyes away. _"Jackpot!"_

"Maybe you're a reincarnation or something." TenTen shrugged. "Since we're talking about ghosts and all, it wouldn't be too unusual for something like that to happen."

 _Me? A... Princess?_ Natsumi blushed and shook her head, laughing softly as she waved her hand. "Don't be silly... I'm not Princess material."

Natsumi laughed again, then rubbed her head. "So..." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, you should come look at what I've found."

They stared at her incredulously.

"Y-You mean...!" Naruto pointed at her. "You actually did it?!"

Natsumi nodded, smirking slightly. "I told you I could. It was a piece of cake."

"Wow..." Naruto grabbed her hand and stared at her. "My sister's so cool..."

Natsumi strode over the box, picking it up as the followed her. "It looks like there's a lot of useful stuff in here, but we should go somewhere more inconspicuous before we all start going through it." She held up a finger. "You never remain at the scene of the crime."

She smiled. "Come on; I know a great place we can go."

She turned quickly and leapt away, and they followed her after a moment of hesitation. She stopped inside of a large garden and made herself at home on the patio.

"Um... Natsumi..." Sakura looked around, pointing at the house. "Someone lives here."

She nodded and carefully laid out each of the items in the box. "This is Sena's place. It's empty now because she's at Kiri and Hana's big Halloween party." Natsumi giggled. "Knowing Kiri, she'll probably make Sena stay out all night, and then they'll come home in the morning and crash."

"Is it really okay to be here while she's gone?" Ino hesitantly sat into one of the recliners and then leaned back comfortably with a sigh.

"As long as no one trashes her garden, she won't mind." Natsumi unlocked the back door with the spare key she had, then retrieved an armful of snacks from inside. "Is anyone hungry?"

Choji's eyes brightened at the word and he happily eyed the selection, taking several of the bags and boxes from her and sitting down as he dug in.

"You're... eating her food?" Sakura crossed her arms and watched Natsumi open a bag of chips.

"This is practically my second home. Sena says I can raid her fridge anytime."

Sakura sighed and shrugged. "Alright, fine."

"Okay." Natsumi pointed at the evidence. "Ground rules— this stuff is incredibly old. No one with dirty hands can touch any of this. And if any of it gets crumpled or ripped, we're going to be in even bigger trouble than we already would be, so take care of it more delicately than you would a gift from someone that you like."

Ino and Sakura blushed at the analogy, and Shikamaru immediately set to reading over all of the evidence. They each set to work poring over the various scrolls and paperwork.

After some time, Natsumi set down her scroll with a sigh. _Well, this one didn't have anything very useful on it..._

She looked around to the other Genin and then cleared her throat softly.

"Has anyone found anything?"

They looked up at her, some of them nodding.

TenTen held up a thin folder. "This is the crime scene report for the initial attack on the Princess' carriage."

Sakura held up another folder. "This is the medical report for the guards' wounds."

"This talks about the Princess' memorial Lord First erected and her funeral." Lee held up his scroll, wiping the tears from his face with his forearm as he cried. "Such a beautifully tragic event..."

Shino set his scroll down in front of him and crossed his arms. "The guards' Ninja profiles."

Sasuke glanced down at the pages in front of him. "Letters between the Princess and her parents."

Ino held up the scroll in her hands. "This is a rough draft of a marriage contract. It seems that Lord Ichiro had planned on having his daughter marry Lord First's eldest son, Hakura, to strengthen their alliance."

"The... suicide note of the surviving guard." Hinata spoke barely above a whisper, holding a small scroll in her hands.

"The map of the route the Princess' convoy took." Shikamaru answered without looking up.

"The invitation from the Senju clan to Uzushiogakure to attend the Founding celebration." Neji answered simply and set his own scroll down, having nothing more to say.

"Mine is the order from Lord First for the brothers to escort the Princess." Natsumi sighed and made a face. "Nothing useful there."

Naruto chuckled and grinned. "Say, say! Mine has the most important information of all!"

The Genin all turned to Naruto, who held up the scroll with a smug grin.

"It's the Princess' family tree."

They sighed in disappointment and Naruto furrowed his brows. "Hey! This is important stuff!"

Natsumi looked at her twin. "It sounds interesting, but we're trying to solve her murder."

Naruto made a face at his twin. "You're going to be much more interested when I tell you what the name of the Princess' grandmother was."

Natsumi sighed softly. "Naruto..."

"Natsumi." Naruto grinned and his sister blinked.

"Huh?"

"That's her grandmother's name." He chuckled and pointed smugly at a name. "Natsumi Uzumaki. Says so right there."

Natsumi eyes widened and she quickly went to him and read the name for herself.

 _He's right!_ She bit her lip in thought. _First I look just like the Princess, and now I just happen to share the same name as her relative... this is so strange._

Natsumi glanced back up at Naruto, who was chuckling to himself at his find.

_What if he's right, and these are really our ancestors? We wouldn't be nobodies anymore..._

"Strange..." She muttered out loud.

"This proves that we're royalty for real!" He puffed out his chest with a smirk.

"Natsumi isn't an uncommon name." Sakura pointed out. "It could be a coincidence." She pursed her lips. _"Although... it's strange for there to be two cases of exceptionally rare coincidences in one day..."_

"I'll find a way to prove it!" Naruto raised his fist into the air as he snapped at Sakura. "I'll find such good proof that you'll have to believe it!"

"Alright, let's get back to work." Shikamaru groaned and let out a quiet breath. _"What a drag."_ He looked back to the map, then up at the others. "Alright, bring all that stuff here..." He trailed off, deep in thought, and they brought him their evidence.

Shikamaru was silent for some time as he studied each piece, holding his chin.

"Is something wrong?" Choji stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth, watching Shikamaru think and recognizing his expression.

Shikamaru nodded after a moment. "Maybe..." He sighed and crossed his arms. "Something just doesn't seem to be adding up here."

"What do you mean?" Sakura looked at him, and Shikamaru looked up, resting his hands on his knees as he addressed them.

"For starters, the exact location of the ambush is suspicious." He tapped the spot on the map. "It's inside the Land of Fire, quite a distance from any rival countries. If they were ambushed by their enemies, they must have been either already in the country, waiting for the convoy, or traitors to their own country who didn't trust the alliance with Uzushiogakure."

"Furthermore," he pointed at other evidence. "The Princess herself said 'assassin.'"

"So?" Naruto dug a finger into his ear, then tried to wipe his finger on Natsumi's shirt, who leaned away out of reach and swatted his hand away.

"An ambush on a royal convoy would have been much larger than one man."

"Unless he was just really strong." Naruto crossed his arms and rubbed his finger on his own shirt.

Shikamaru picked up the medical report and scanned it once more. "Each of the guards who died had fatal wounds- their throats were slit or they were stabbed directly into the heart. The survivor had many wounds, but they were all on his face, torso, and limbs, and none were truly fatal."

"You're thinking that he was the assassin, aren't you?" Natsumi spoke in a quiet voice, her expression unusually serious.

Shikamaru crossed his arms and nodded after a moment.

"It's likely."

"But... he would have been killing his own brothers." Ino commented. "Why would he do that?"

"It would have a choice between an amulet that granted near-invincibility and immortality, and his siblings. The answer would be simple for most."

Shikamaru set down the medical report and examined the suicide note again.

"And this... for someone who was supposedly traumatized and near-insane, his penmanship is neat. Not what you would expect from someone emotionally unstable."

"I don't understand." TenTen put her hand on her hip. "Why would he go so far as to kill his own brothers to take the pendant for himself, only to kill himself?"

"I was wondering that as well..." Sakura pressed her lips together.

Shikamaru thought for a moment. "The report says that he killed himself several days after the attack. My guess is that he wrote the suicide note in order to fake his death and escape with the pendant."

"And then something happened that made him really lose his mind." Natsumi added, and the group fell silent.

Shikamaru gathered the evidence and returned it carefully to the box, replacing its lid.

"There's nothing else of use in here, so we should check out his house like Oto suggested."

They nodded in agreement and Natsumi placed the box inside of Sena's house, then locked it once more with her spare key.

"Are we ready, then?" Natsumi looked at the others, then her eyes fell on Kiba and Akamaru, who were napping in the corner of the garden. She shook his shoulder gently and his eyes snapped open, and Akamaru woke up next.

"Ah!" He blushed and stared up at her. "Heh... Natsumi... h-hi."

Akamaru stretched and yawned and Natsumi giggled and scratched his chin.

"Aw, Akamaru, are you a sleepy doggy?" His tail wagged and he licked her face. "You're so cute!"

She looked at Kiba and held out her hand to him, helping him up. "We're going to go investigate the survivor's house now."

"T-Thanks..." His cheeks warmed as she walked away and he looked down at Akamaru and made a face, crossing his arms as Akamaru barked, muttering. "Hmph. Of course she doesn't like you more."

* * *

Natsumi looked around as they headed toward the Village gates, lost in thought. She stopped suddenly to look down a side street. Naruto saw her and stopped.

"Natsumi? Are ya coming?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I just saw Yuki and I want to ask her to come with us. They say cats have the ability to sense spirits."

"Okay."

Natsumi gave a short wave, then hopped away and out of sight for a moment. A few seconds later, she rejoined the group with a pout.

"She wouldn't even let me finish asking." She made a face. "She said that grooming herself was more important."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Some Ninja Cat. She doesn't even listen to you."

Natsumi shrugged. "Well, our contract is that she helps me on missions and stuff. She doesn't have to come with me everywhere I go, but it would be nice sometimes."

"If you say so. That cat is pretty rude."

Natsumi giggled. "I like having her around. Sometimes she says what's really on my mind but I'm just too shy to say. She helps me come out of my shell."

* * *

The Genin reached the lone cabin in the thick of the woods, not far from a small stream. The full cloak of night had fallen and the only light was from the moon. The area seemed too quiet— almost eerily so— and the home was in a state of disrepair from the many years it had been abandoned.

"This... This is it." Sakura's eyes widened at the ramshackle building.

For a while, no one did anything until Lee stepped in front of the group with his eyes bright.

"Let's go inside already! We have to help the Princess!"

"G-Guys..." TenTen trembled and pointed to a nearby tree. A length of rope hung from a thick branch, long dry-rotted. Its end was hastily cut, and the remnants of a noose could be seen on the ground, buried partially by overgrown moss.

A chill ran through the group.

"That's..." Natsumi swallowed. "That's where he took his own life..."

Lee shuddered. "E-Even so... we can't stop now. T-The P-P-Princess needs us..."

"So..." Shino muttered. "Who's going in first?"

There was silence until Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I'll go." He stepped forward with his hands in his pockets. "There's no such thing as ghosts. You're all being ridiculous."

Sakura and Ino blushed faintly, and Sakura watched him approach the door. It sagged on its hinges and had patches missing from rot and infestation.

 _"Sasuke's so brave!"_ Sakura clasped her hands together and held them close. _"He's not afraid of anything!"_

He stepped coolly onto the old, creaking porch and glanced back at the group. They watched in anticipation, most of them trembling. He scoffed under his breath, then gently opened the door to step inside the doorway. _"Those fools are embarrassing."_

"Stop shaking and get in here." He looked over his shoulder. "There's nothing—"

His eyes widened suddenly and he let out a cry of surprise as he was pulled inside the house and the door was slammed shut.

The group screamed and the color drained from their faces.

"GAH!!!" Naruto screamed and grasped his hair tightly. "The house ate Sasuke!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura's eyes widened and they rushed to the door to pull it open, but the door was stuck.

"I-It won't open!" Naruto tugged on the knob and Akamaru whimpered and stepped back from the house with his tail in between his legs.

"S-Sasuke..." Ino's eyes fluttered and she nearly fainted, leaning against Shikamaru for support.

Choji licked the chip crumbs from his fingers and stuck the balled-up empty bag into his pocket. "Let me try."

They stepped back and Choji held up a hand sign. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

His right hand enlarged and the group moved further away as he drew his hand back, swinging it at the door. It shattered into splinters and a large gust of dust exploded from the hole. They coughed and waved the air, and, when the dust settled, they could see Sasuke.

They stepped over the debris and hurried over to where he struggled against invisible restraints. He stood quickly, scowling, and wiped his arms angrily as he looked around.

"Sasuke!" Sakura reached out to dust a cobweb out of his hair and he swatted her hand away. "Are you alright?"

"W-What happened?" Naruto looked around carefully and shuddered.

"I don't know." He muttered irritably. "I felt someone grab me."

Sasuke dusted himself off and looked around. "I don't see any wires or traps."

"B-But no one's here." Ino held her arms in close to her and glanced around.

"Did you see anyone?" Shikamaru began to walk around slowly, the old floors creaking under his feet.

"No." Sasuke muttered.

"C-Could it be...?" TenTen gulped.

"A g-ghost?" Hinata whispered and hid, standing behind Naruto instinctively as she trembled.

"I don't see any signs that anyone has been here but us." Shikamaru commented and examined rotten food left on the table, then drew away from the smell.

Sakura made a face and looked at the furniture. "The dust is over a centimeter thick, except where Choji busted down the door."

"Spread out and look for any clues." Shikamaru looked at them. "A journal, maybe, or any kind of notes."

"It's hard to see much without any light." Lee frowned slightly.

Natsumi smiled faintly and picked up a lantern that sat on a shelf, then searched for a match in the drawers. After several unsuccessful attempts, she was able to light the lantern and its soft glow illuminated the area.

"That's better." She held it up to look around and then let out a quiet scream.

"Natsumi! What's wrong?!" Naruto turned and his twin pointed at the walls. Long, angry scratches covered the walls, accompanied by dried blood.

"I-I think... he did this." She spoke in a barely audible squeak and screeched as a mouse ran between her feet, stirring up the dust and revealing human fingernails on the floor.

Naruto's face whitened. "Y-You mean h-he... scratched until his nails fell off?"

Natsumi gripped his sleeve tightly and stood closer to him. "This is so creepy..."

He nodded in agreement and Natsumi noticed Hinata hiding.

"Hinata, are you okay?"

"U-Um... Y-yes, I'm fine." She stammered.

"I'm creeped out, too." Natsumi held out her hand and smiled faintly. "Do you want to hold my hand?"

Hinata's eyes widened for a moment and then she took Natsumi's hand. "T-Thanks."

"You're welcome." Natsumi leaned closer and whispered. "I'm really glad you said yes because I was actually pretty scared. This whole place is spooky." She shuddered and smiled sheepishly. "But it was my idea to do this, so I can't just back out now."

"You're really brave, Natsumi-chan."

"Me?" She laughed quietly and shook her head. "I'm not. If everyone weren't here, I wouldn't have come in on my own."

A quick succession of clacking scurried on the roof above them and the sound echo around the Genin. Natsumi yelped quietly and leaned closer to Hinata, squeezing her hand.

"W-What was that?!" Naruto looked up at the ceiling.

"Some kind of animal, probably." Sasuke scoffed. "We're in the middle of the woods."

The group carefully continued to search the house, listening intently for any noises. The house remained silent.

"Anything?" Shikamaru looked between them and the shook their heads.

"Nothing important, anyway." Sakura crossed her arms in thought and touched her chin. "If he kept a journal, I'm not sure where else it could be."

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly and she looked upward. "I might."

Releasing Hinata's hand, Natsumi gathered some Chakra at the bottoms of her feet and walked up the wall, on the vaulted ceiling, and examined the joists and beams from above. Carefully pressing against the old wood, her finger passed over a button disguised as a knot. Upon pressing it, a small section of the beam opened to reveal a secret cache.

Several pouches of gems and outdated currency had been stuffed inside, as well as a leatherbound journal. Her mouth twitched in a smile and she picked up the journal, blew off the dust, and held it up for them to see.

"Does this look about right?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"How did you know it would be up there?" Naruto chuckled at his twins' success.

"I just remembered something Kiri had told me about hiding things. 'It either goes over your head or is right under your nose.'" Natsumi giggled and stopped suddenly, letting out a cry as she slipped from the ceiling and fell, landing on Sasuke in a pile.

"Natsumi!" Naruto helped her up and she shuddered and clutched the journal close. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know." She shuddered again. "I-It felt like someone pulled me down."

Sakura gulped and their eyes wandered upward.

"I-It was probably just my imagination." Natsumi forced a laughed and held out the book to Shikamaru, who took it from her.

"Or a ghost." Ino whispered to Sakura, who squeaked inadvertently and then glared at her rival.

Shikamaru opened the journal and scanned the pages, turning them delicately until he reached the middle section of the journal and pointed to the first line on the page.

"He wrote about being assigned the mission here, and then it cuts off." He turned several pages before the writing continued and his eyes widened slightly.

"What is it?" Natsumi asked and his expression shifted as he read.

"It's... a confession." He answered simply.

Their eyes widened and they leaned closer to look at the writing.

"What does it say?" Lee asked Shikamaru remained silent as he read.

Natsumi moved beside him to read aloud:

_"I never meant to kill her. I never meant to kill any of them. All I wanted was the amulet._

_The way it shone in the sunlight and hung around her neck, it beckoned to me. It tempted me with its presence alone. By the end of the second day of travel, it was all I could think about._

_She was asleep. I only wanted to take it and slip away. Why did she have to wake up?"_

A piece of furniture shifted several centimeters across the floor and her head turned up to see it. "U-Um..."

"Y-You saw that, right?" Ino asked under her breath to Choji, whose stomach gurgled.

"Y-Yeah." He nodded.

Natsumi's eyes fell back onto the passage and she began to read it aloud once more, stuttering quietly.

_"I stabbed her without thinking before she could make any sound of alarm. It wasn't until her blood poured over my hands that I realized the full extent of what I had done._

_I had killed Princess Akahime."_

A chair in the dining room tipped over and a chill ran up their spines.

"I-I don't like this place." Sakura murmured.

Naruto's skin crawled and he gulped. "C-Can we go now?"

"We haven't found the information we came for, yet." Shikamaru gave the house another look, then glanced back at the book. "There's still more."

Natsumi started again and let out a slow breath to steady herself.

_"I took the amulet from her immediately. I wanted to flee. I wanted to escape with my shame and my prize. I knew my brothers would stop me. I had no choice. One by one, they each died by my hand, until only I, the youngest, remained."_

Natsumi paused for a moment and continued.

_"I believed that it would be easy to get away with my crimes. Creating a false story of an ambush was simple. Wounding myself to avoid arousing suspicion was even easier. Hiding the amulet for safekeeping was the easiest of all. I dared to glance one final time into the carriage to look at her corpse, so tragically young and lovely, and I saw her spirit emerge from her body._

_It recognized me with a scream and rushed at me. We fell from the carriage and struggled. Then, her spirit looked over the corpses of my brothers and fled into the woods. I thought that I had seen the last of her. I was mistaken._

_As soon as the search party found the staged scene and we returned to Konoha, I began to see her face everywhere I turned. I felt her blood coating my hands at all times. No matter what I do, I cannot be rid of these memories. The amulet has cursed me, I know it._

_Hammer, nor sword, nor stone would destroy the cursed pendant. Not even fire could free me from this waking nightmare._

_I can never make amends for my crimes, and now she has cursed me in death. I can't step into the woods without hearing her weeping."_

Natsumi cleared her throat, finished, and shuddered. "That's... where it ends."

Silence settled around them and Shikamaru checked the remaining pages but found them blank.

"It doesn't say where he hid the amulet, though." Lee looked over at the entry again.

"How can we find it, now?" Sakura let out a breath and Shikamaru reread the passage.

"It says right here." He looked up at them and quoted the entry. "'Hammer, nor sword, nor stone would destroy the pendant... Not even fire could free me.' Fire." Shikamaru repeated the word and turned toward the mantle.

Natsumi's eyes widened. "Of course... he tried to burn it."

Sasuke's eyes fell on the mountain of soot and ash and approached slowly, then stuck his hand inside. A moment later he grasped something and pulled it out, holding it up into the light of the lantern. _"So... this is it?"_

"The pendant!" Naruto gaped.

"It's real..." Natsumi stared at the pendant as Sasuke studied it.

A large, golden stone was set inside of an ornately carved wooden pendant. Its leather cord had been destroyed by the fire, but neither the wooden pendant nor the stone were charred.

"Amazing." TenTen leaned closer to examine it as Sasuke brought it over.

"It looks too plain to be important." Kiba made a face and tapped the stone. "But, a jewel this big's sure to be valuable. What is it?"

Natsumi reached out to touch the stone, then held the amulet in her hand as if determining its weight and then sniffed it. Her eyes widened. "It's Amber!"

"Amber?" Naruto looked at her. "What's that? Is it valuable?"

"Fossilized tree sap, you dunce." Sakura nudged him.

"Tree sap?" He made a face. "The amazingly powerful amulet is... tree sap?"

Natsumi gazed at her reflection in the amber. "It's so pretty."

A soft glow flickered in the core of the stone and the furniture around them pulled away simultaneously, creating an empty circle.

They shrieked and quickly ran out of the house with their hearts pounding in their chests.

Natsumi held the amulet close to her as she recovered her breath. "I can't believe it's actually real." She looked down at it. "So much suffering and death, all for this."

They stepped away from the cabin and took in large breaths of fresh air. The clearing quieted and a faint skittering and clacking echoed around them from the trees. They stood closer together, and a branch snapped off of a tall tree behind them and fell to the ground. Moving away from it quickly, they looked into the forest ahead and froze.

Through the trees, a girl with long red hair and a formal gown could be seen from a distance. She was too far to distinguish any detail, but they knew immediately that it was the Princess.

They watched as the figure drew farther away and disappeared, though the woods filled with the soft sound of crying.

"D-Did you see that?" Naruto's teeth chattered.

"The Princess' ghost." Lee's gaze remained fixed at where she had been.

"She's real." Natsumi murmured under her breath.


	3. 2018 Halloween Special Part Three

Lee turned quickly to the group. "We have to find her and give her the pendant!'

As he turned to rush away, TenTen grabbed his shoulder, shaking her head and holding up a finger.

"Wait! Remember what Oto-sama said?" She paused and looked at the group. "If you tell a spirit that they are dead, they'll regain their memories and become dangerous. We have to be careful about what we say if we see her."

They nodded in unison and Natsumi looked at her. "Oto-sama said that?"

Sakura nodded and Natsumi thought for a moment.

"I've never known her to be wrong about anything before." Natsumi smiled faintly. "So, we should all be careful, then."

"How do we find the Princess?" Naruto scratched his cheek.

"Good question." Ino thought. "If she wanders the forest, she'll be impossible to track."

Kiba sniffed the air and Akamaru did the same, then he crossed his arms. "And she doesn't have a scent, either."

"We don't have to track her." Shikamaru rested a hand on his hip. "We know where she has been seen before. If we go there, she's bound to show up."

"Oh, that's right." Sakura nodded. "That tree is meaningful to her."

"What are we waiting for?" Lee clenched his fist, then pointed. "Let's go!"

He bounded away and TenTen sighed with a faint smile. "He's always so energetic."

"It is getting pretty late." Natsumi shrugged. "So, we should hurry, I guess."

They nodded and followed Lee.

* * *

Standing in the center of the quiet glade was a tall Maple with vibrant red leaves. Despite the chill in the air, not a single leaf had fallen to the ground. A light mist filled the area and clung to their skin in a chilly, damp layer. All sound from the forest was absent and left a bubble of unnatural silence.

"I don't see her anywhere." Naruto turned his head to scan the area, and they carefully walked around the clearing.

"This is where Oto and Guy-sensei mentioned meeting her. She'll turn up." Shikamaru quietly studied the tree while the others looked around.

Lee circled the tree and found a small memorial alter. It was concealed beneath vines and moss and darkened by the shadow of the tree. He wiped the stone's face clean and read the epitaph.

_In memory of the Princess Akahime, the lovely blossom of the Uzumaki. May her soul rest in peace._

His eyes widened slightly and he pointed at the stone. "Look at this!"

They gathered around the memorial and Sakura knelt to touch the stone.

"When I first heard the story, I was skeptical," Sakura admitted quietly and Lee glanced at her, blushing faintly at how close she was. "But she was a real person, just like us."

"Hello?" A soft voice entered the glade and a chill ran down their spines. The voice sniffed and drew nearer. "Is... is someone there?"

They turned slowly and peered out of the shadows to the form of the Princess.

"I-It's really her!" Naruto's eyes widened and he stood rooted in place.

The Princess appeared to be solid, with her feet gracefully walking on the ground, without making a sound. Her red hair was straight and long, falling to her ankles, and she was wearing an exquisite pink gown, just as she had in her portraits.

Her eyes widened and she stepped back, startled at first, and then her eyes fell on Lee. She smiled broadly and ran to him, clasping his hands.

"Might Guy! You've come back, just as you promised!" She paused and blinked, then looked at him more closely. "You... you're not Might Guy."

Lee blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat as his heart skipped a beat. _"Her hands are ice-cold! She really is a ghost!"_ He cleared his throat. "I-I'm Rock Lee, Princess!"

"Rock Lee?" She repeated slowly and released his hands. "But you look so similar to Guy..."

 _"Crap!"_ Naruto gulped.

"We can't tell her how much time has really passed since then." Shikamaru whispered to Lee.

"T-That's because..." Lee stammered and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he thought of a lie.

"They're brothers!" TenTen exclaimed and the Princess tilted her head to the side.

"Oh? Brothers?" She giggled after a moment. "I see. It's no wonder that you look so similar."

The Princess looked between the group and then back to Lee. "Where is Guy, then?" She clasped her hands together and looked down. "Did... he not want to see me again?"

"No, no, no, no!" Lee waved his hands quickly and shook his head. "He's just... sick!"

"Sick?" She placed a hand over her mouth daintily. "That's terrible. He was fine when I saw him before..." She pressed her lips together. "It must be my fault. He was helping me search and he even went into the rivers. I'm sure that's why."

"Since he wasn't feeling well, he sent us to help you in his place." Lee smiled at the Princess.

"He did?" She bowed her head in thanks, then straightened and smiled. "I'm so grateful. It's gotten so dark and I've been searching everywhere. I can't find my pendant at all... I'm afraid that it's long gone now."

Her expression fell and the mist around them thickened.

"A-Actually!" Lee stepped toward her. "W-We actually found it."

Her eyes widened and she clasped his hands, her eyes wet. "Y-You have?!" Her eyes spilled over and he nodded. She flung her arms around him suddenly. "Oh, thank you! I was so worried that it was lost! Mother and Father would have been so upset with me!"

Lee shivered at the coldness of her embrace and she pulled away from him.

"Where is it?"

Lee turned to Natsumi, who stood frozen in place behind Naruto, half-concealed by the shadow.

"I... I have it." Natsumi gulped and took a step forward into the moonlight and the Princess' eyes widened.

"Y-You!" She released Lee's hands and stared at Natsumi. "You look just like me."

"A-And you look like me." Natsumi glanced down at the pendant, then held it out with both hands. "T-This is yours."

The Princess' cold hands brushed against Natsumi's as she lifted the pendant up and smiled at it. "You really did find it..." She carefully returned the amulet to hang around her neck, then wiped another tear from her cheek and looked at Lee. "I... I can't believe it. I can't thank you enough." She looked at the group. "Thank you. All of you. This pendant is very important to me."

The Princess turned back to Natsumi. "You're an Uzumaki, aren't you?"

"I..." Natsumi nodded. "How did you know?"

The Princess giggled. "We Uzumaki are known for our red hair." She looked more closely at her. "But I've never seen you before. Are you from Uzushiogakure?"

"I'm Natsumi." She paused. "I'm from... somewhere else."

"Natsumi?" The Princess smiled. "What a nice name."

"Hey, hey!" Naruto grinned. "I'm an Uzumaki, too, ya know!"

The Princess looked at him for a moment and then shook her head. "Blonde."

"B-But I am!" Naruto protested.

"It's true." Natsumi giggled. "We're twins."

"Oh?" The Princess looked between them. "I suppose there is a resemblance after all."

The pendant emitted a soft glow and she looked down at the amber for a moment. Its light flickered and wavered for a moment, and then faded.

Naruto's eyes widened and he leaned closer to admire the amulet. "Amazing! What just happened? What did it do?"

She smiled faintly and giggled. "I'm sorry; I'm not allowed to talk about it with anyone. Please understand."

"O-Oh..." He straightened and the Princess patted his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I made a promise to keep its secrets." She lowered her arm and turned. "I should go to Mother and Father now. My convoy was supposed to arrive this morning, so I'm sure that they're worried." She bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you for helping me. I won't forget this."

The Princess straightened and waved gracefully, then turned and began to walk away, only to be frozen in place. "W-What's happening?!" Her eyes widened and she attempted to move. "W-What are you doing? Release me!"

Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Shikamaru holding up a hand sign, immobilizing the Princess.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto turned to the Genin. "W-What are you doing? She's a Princess!"

"Hey!" Ino put her hand on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her teammate. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't upset her!" Sakura hissed. "Oto-sama told us to be careful around her."

"True." He maintained the Jutsu, tilting his head up slightly as a smirk formed on his lips. "But this isn't the Princess."

Their eyes widened and they turned to him.

"W-What?" What do you mean?" Lee stammered. "Of course she is!"

"You're going too far!" TenTen scolded.

"So, when did you figure it out?" The Princess muttered, still frozen in place with her back to them.

"H-Huh?" The group turned slowly to look at the red-haired girl.

"Heh." Shikamaru closed his eyes briefly. "At the cabin." He answered. "I didn't suspect anything until the first disturbance. Furniture moving on its own... it's a little cliché."

"W-What's going on?" Naruto blinked and looked at Shikamaru.

Sakura's eyes widened. "No way... the Princess is... an imposter?"

"And then when Natsumi fell from the beam. It was difficult to see in the dim lighting, but I saw the Chakra threads, and I realized that the entire scene was staged."

"Staged? TenTen repeated.

"It seemed strange that someone from that time period wouldn't comment on our costumes." Shikamaru continued. "Not only that, but in Oto-sama's book, the Princess she drew, her hair was parted on the other side, and she had plum blossoms in her hair. You don't."

He smirked. "What really proved it to me was how you called Naruto by his name, even though it had never been given. And, what kind of ghost casts a shadow?"

The Princess laughed softly under her breath. "I suppose I did slip up there, didn't I?" She let out a breath. "You could have at least played along a little longer."

"W-Wait a minute!" Lee's eyes were wide and he pointed at the Princess. "If you're not the Princess, who are you?!"

Shikamaru released the Princess and she held up a hand sign, muttering. A puff of smoke concealed her, and when it dissipated, Natsumi stood in front of them.

"NATSUMI?!"

Their mouths gaped and they stared in disbelief.

"B-But...! How...?!" Naruto looked between the two Natsumi's. "You can't be Natsumi! She's been with us the entire time!"

"Haven't I?" The Natsumi beside him smirked faintly and vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto's eyes widened further and he clutched his head.

"N-No way! It was a Shadow Clone the entire time?!"

Natsumi giggled and clasped her hands behind her, grinning ear-to-ear. "I really had you guys going, didn't I?" She narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru, then at Neji. "Except for you two!" She pointed at the Hyuga boy. "I saw you using your Byakugan. You're a closet pervert _and_ a cheater!"

Neji scowled at the accusation.

Lee's eyes watered and his lip pouted and trembled. "N-Natsumi-chan... you... tricked us?"

She blinked and held up her hands. "W-Well..." She scratched her head, then cleared her throat. "I-I did. I'm sorry to have upset you."

"But _why?"_ Naruto crossed his arms and looked at his twin, pursing his lips and making a face.

Natsumi put her hands on her hips. "You were complaining before how I never pulled pranks the way we did as kids anymore, so I'm surprised that you're not happy about it." She sighed and crossed her arms. "I got the idea after you told me that I looked like the Princess. Once we began to look through the evidence, and I saw her picture, I knew it was the perfect opportunity."

"N-Natsumi-chan..." Lee sniffed. "How could you...?"

"So, everything was a lie?" Sakura asked quietly, and Natsumi shook her head quickly.

"No, no! The case... the evidence... the pendant... all of it is real." Natsumi touched the pendant that hung around her neck, then pulled it off and held it in her hands. "I just never expected us to be actually able to find it."

She smiled faintly and looked up at them. "Lee was also so moved by Guy's story that I knew he would be disappointed if there wasn't actually a Princess to help... so that was something that influenced my decision."

Lee wiped his face with his sleeve and looked up. "Y-You... were trying to help me?"

"Well, yes. That was part of it." Natsumi glanced away and scratched her cheek. "I don't know you very well, but you're always such a nice, good-hearted person, and I thought it would be a shame if you got upset."

Lee hugged her suddenly, his eyes overflowing again. "S-So thoughtful! Natsumi is so thoughtful!"

She blinked and laughed awkwardly as he embraced her, and he released her after a moment and wiped his face.

"I also thought it would be fun." She smiled. "Considering there were _some_ amongst us that were being aloof and boring during the Holiday, I figured that it would make them actually engage and have a little fun." She eyed Sasuke and Neji. "Although, I can't say that it worked."

"Hmph." Sasuke turned away. _"I knew it couldn't be real."_

Natsumi sighed. "Last but not least, everyone has been so tense since the Chunin Exams began. Since we still have a while until the third stage, I thought everyone could use a little bit of fun to take their minds off it."

"The only thing I haven't figured out is how you were able to hide your scent and manipulate anything using the Chakra threads without us noticing." Shikamaru looked at the redhead.

Natsumi smiled faintly. "My Invisibility Jutsu isn't only able to make me unseen at will... it can also be used to eliminate my scent or make my movements soundless."

Naruto stared at his twin. "Wow... when did you learn something like that?"

"Kiri and Aito taught me." She shrugged.

"What about the Chakra threads?" Sakura asked. "I didn't know you could do something like that, too."

"I can't." She crossed her arms and glanced toward the treetops. "I had help."

A figure leaped down from where it had been hiding amongst the branches and landed next to Natsumi.

Naruto's eyes widened and he pointed a shaking hand at the Sand Genin. "Y-You?!"

Kankuro smirked and put a fist on his hip. "You should have seen your faces. You morons all fell for it."

Natsumi nudged his side. "Hey, be nice! My brother's one of those morons."

Kankuro chuckled and shrugged, and a second figure dropped from the trees and landed beside him. The puppet clacked as it moved, then stood still. The Leaf Genin stared incredulously at the older boy and Akamaru whimpered, hiding in Kiba's shirt.

"Natsumi, you're friends with this guy?" Naruto stared at him in scrutiny.

Natsumi's cheeks warmed and she glanced at Kankuro, who met her eyes briefly before he looked away.

"I... guess you could say that." She laughed quietly and moved a piece of her hair behind her ear. "We met briefly during one of my missions several months ago. I happened to see him just before we left the Village, and it gave me an idea of how to pull off the prank. I switched with a clone without anyone noticing, and then I asked if he would help out."

The group eyed Kankuro nervously as he looked down at them with an unwavering smirk. "It was pretty fun to see you all scared like that." He chuckled and glanced at Natsumi. "Thanks for inviting me along."

"Thanks for helping out." Natsumi leaned up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek and his face flushed slightly as he looked away.

"N-No problem..."

Naruto's mouth hung open and he pointed at his sister. "Y-You can't just kiss someone in front of your brother!"

Natsumi rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, teasing. "Would you rather I did it in private?"

His face paled and he scowled, waving his arms in protest. "No! Since when are you interested in boys anyway?! You're just a kid!"

Natsumi let out a sigh, shaking her head slowly as a faint blush colored her cheeks. "It was just on the cheek, you moron."

"Oh, here you are."

"Gah!" The group jumped at the new voice and turned to see Kakashi standing behind them.

Kakashi smiled innocently and looked down at them. "Having fun?"

Naruto clenched his jaw and thumbed back at Natsumi over his shoulder. "Natsumi pranked us!" He complained.

"Oh? Is that so?" Kakashi glanced up at her, then back down at Naruto as he began to explain the night's events, interrupted by Sakura when he got a detail wrong.

Natsumi strode over to the memorial while the others were busy and she knelt in front, reading the epitaph to herself. Then, she placed the pendant on the ground before it, concealing it with a thin layer of dirt. Kankuro approached her quietly and she smiled faintly, standing.

"Thanks again for helping me. I wasn't sure at first that you were going to, but I'm glad you did."

He looked away for a moment before nodding. "It was fun." He chuckled. "Better than spending time with those two, anyway."

Natsumi walked with him back to his puppet and watched him put it away and returned it to its place on his back.

"Do you want me to walk you back?" She offered and put a hand in her pocket.

"Nah." He shook his head. "If Temari sees us together, she'll never shut up about it."

"Are you sure?" Natsumi met his eyes. "I don't mind, and I am the one who asked you to come out here. It's the least I could do."

He glanced at the others at the other side of the clearing, then back to her with a smirk. "I remember you saying something before about making it worth my while?"

She blushed and looked away. "U-Um..." She smiled faintly and rubbed her head. "I-I guess I did, didn't I?"

She leaned up and kissed his cheek again, then pulled away. "How's that?"

He thought for a moment and his smirk grew. "Pathetic."

Her blush deepened. "Pathetic?!"

"Yeah. You kissed me better that first time in Suna, and we were complete strangers then." He put a hand on his hip. "So, that one was pathetic by comparison."

"Oh, yeah?" Natsumi grabbed the back of his neck, drawing him closer and leaning in until their lips touched. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, then closed as he returned and deepened the kiss. She broke away after a moment, their faces both red.

"How was that?" She whispered as her heart pounded in her chest.

His face grew hotter and his lips curved in a slight smirk. "Satisfactory. For now."

"Greedy boy." She giggled and he leaned in to kiss her cheek, then give a short wave.

"See ya around, Natsumi."

"See you around." She murmured and waved back, and he leaped away.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw everyone staring at her wide-eyed and silent, and her face flushed a furious crimson.

_T-They saw it!_

Natsumi's eyes wandered to Naruto, who was looking elsewhere and was completely oblivious to what had happened. Her heart pounded and she let out a slow breath.

_At least Naruto didn't see..._

Natsumi walked over to the group, keeping herself from shaking as twelve pairs of eyes followed her. Once she reached the group, she shot Sakura and Ino a smirk, leaning close to whisper.

"And you said I didn't know anything about romance."

Their faces flushed and Natsumi laughed under her breath, then stood beside Naruto.

"Naruto, what are you looking at?"

Without a word, he pointed toward the memorial, where a female's figure stooped down to uncover the pendant. It glowed softly as she touched it, and Natsumi's mouth gaped at the ethereal form.

Naruto made a face and turned to her. "Come on, Natsumi. The prank's over. You can't fool me again."

Natsumi stood rooted in place as the figure shimmered in the moonlight and caught their eye. She bowed to the twins and then disappeared into thin air.

"N-Naruto... that's not..." She pressed her lips together. "N-Nevermind..."

He turned to face her, then blinked. He scrunched his face and leaned in closer as he looked her over.

"W-What?" She blinked and leaned back, and he pointed at her mouth.

"You've got something on your face."

She blushed and wiped it away with her sleeve. _Kankuro's facepaint!_

Naruto crossed his arms over his head and began to walk away. "I'm starving after all this running around. Let's go get something to eat."

"O-Okay." Natsumi slowly followed him, looking back at the memorial a final time before they made their way back to the village. _Thankfully, he's completely clueless..._

Kakashi glanced over at her as they walked, and she remained silent in thought. _"Those books are a terrible influence for someone her age..."_


	4. 2018 Halloween Special- Behind the Scenes

**The Switch~**

Natsumi looked around as they headed toward the Village gates, lost in thought. She stopped suddenly to look down a side street. Naruto saw her and stopped.

"Natsumi? Are ya coming?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I just saw Yuki and I want to ask her to come with us. They say cats have the ability to sense spirits."

"Okay."

Natsumi gave a short wave, then hopped away and out of sight. Her lips curved upward in a small smirk and she formed a hand sign, quickly creating a clone. They shared a wink and the clone darted back to Naruto, while Natsumi watched a trio of figures walking down the adjoining street in the waning evening light. Her eyes lit up with an idea and she carefully smoothed her hair before stepping out from her hiding place and let out a breath as she approached them from behind.

"Hey, you."

All three sand Genin turned around, but the tallest blinked in surprise as he recognized her.

"O-Oh, it's you." He turned to face her.

Natsumi giggled quietly and met his eyes. "It is me."

"What do you want?" Temari looked down at the younger girl with a cold expression.

"I just had a question." Natsumi smiled and looked at Kankuro.

"A question?" His cheeks warmed slightly and he cleared his throat. "What kind of question?"

"I just came up with the best prank to pull on my brother, but I can't pull it off on my own." She crossed her arms. "But if I had a puppeteer helping me... It'd be sure to work."

"A prank?" Temari crossed her arms. "You came here just to ask that?"

Natsumi ignored the older girl and kept her eyes on Kankuro. "They're off on a quest to find a ghost, and I want to really spook them. It'll be a ton of fun."

"Why me?" He put a hand on his hips and she smiled.

"Considering I don't know any other puppeteers, and I can't exactly use Chakra threads to do it all myself... There's no one else who could pull this off other than you."

"What do I get out of it?"

Natsumi crossed her arms and a warm flush touched her cheeks. "Well, you can have the satisfaction of seeing them so terrified and convinced that ghosts are real." She paused. "But... if that's not good enough, I'll think of some way to make it worth your while. Maybe I can owe you a favor."

"You think he'd really want to do a dumb prank with you?" Temari sneered. "Suna Ninja aren't carefree or childish like you Leaf are."

Natsumi made a face, keeping quiet and she glanced back at Kankuro. "Well? What do _you_ want to do?"

Kankuro met Temari's eyes, then shook his head. "Heh. Maybe another time."

Natsumi shrugged. "Alright. If you change your mind, I'll always welcome the help."

She turned and leaped away, putting her hands in her pockets. The trio of siblings turned and began to walk once more, and Temari watched her brother from the corner of her eye.

"You're not actually going to take part in a stupid prank with her anytime, are you?"

He scoffed. "Of course not."

Her gaze shifted to look ahead. "Good, because we're not here to play around like children." She glanced back at Kankuro, her eyes widening as she realized he was suddenly gone. She looked around, unable to see him anywhere, and then scowled.

_"Typical. All boys are the same when a girl is involved."_ Temari released a breath, then turned and looked at Gaara, who was still walking away, indifferent, and then she made a face. _"...Except for that one."_

She slowly followed after her youngest brother, watching the back of his head. _"And now, thanks to Kankuro, I have to be alone with this guy..."_

Kankuro caught up to Natsumi, whose eyes widened slightly as he joined her.

"Hey, you." He looked down at her, then averted his eyes.

"It's you." She giggled and crossed her arms. "You changed your mind?"

He chuckled. "Nah, I was going to come with you. Anything to get away from those two for a while."

Natsumi slid her hand into his and smiled.

"I'll tell you my plan on the way, but we have to hurry so they don't get there first."

She led him quickly away, both avoiding the other's eyes as they blushed faintly.

* * *

**The Invitation~**

Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy watched as the Genin left together toward the archives. Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets and Guy turned to him.

"So, what do we do while they're occupied?" Guy put his hands on his hip and smirked. "Perhaps a challenge?"

Kakashi scratched his head nonchalantly. "Actually, I've been invited to a Halloween party."

"A party?" Guy blinked and crossed his arms. "I didn't know you were one for parties."

"Hey, hey, Old Man!"

Asuma released a slow breath at the familiar voice and turned to see Aito, who was walking with one hand in his pocket as he waved with the other, smirking.

"Old man?" Kurenai looked at Asuma, then chuckled quietly to herself.

"Oh, it's just you." He turned to look at Aito. "Why are you here?"

"I was just headed to the party and saw you. Had to say hi." He rested an arm on Asuma's shoulder, then looked at Kakashi. "You're comin', right? Everyone's been looking forward to having _the_ Kakashi there."

"I wasn't going to, but an old friend convinced me."

Aito grinned and chuckled. "Great. I have a feeling this year's party is going to break all of our records."

Asuma shrugged off Aito's arm. "Knowing you, I'm sure that there's going to be trouble."

Aito laughed. "You know me, old man. I like a good party."

Asuma crossed his arms. "I'm only a few years older than you are."

"Maybe, but you act like an old man." Aito shrugged. "Not even thirty yet and you'd prefer to stay home and play board games with Gramps instead of getting the most out of your youth and having fun."

"Your version of fun usually involves drinking until you lose consciousness." Asuma retorted.

"Who are you?" Kurenai eyed Aito, who flourished a sloppy bow and kissed her hand.

"Aito Tamura, your loveliness." He winked. "Ya know, you're not ANBU, but there's always room for a beautiful woman at a party."

Asuma narrowed his gaze at the man, and Aito caught his eyes, chuckled, and released Kurenai's hand.

"I promise it'll be the best party you've ever been to." Aito continued. "We've got Hana on bartender duty tonight, Sena made a feast, and we have the best drinking games around. What do you say?"

"Well," Kurenai glanced at Asuma, then back to Aito. "I suppose we don't have other plans."

"We?" Aito looked at Asuma, then shrugged. "Oh, alright. I suppose the old man can come, too. I guess I can't leave out a relative, even if he is boring."

"Relative?" Kakashi asked. "I didn't know you were related."

Aito nodded and thumbed at Asuma. "His brother married my sister."

"Ah." Kakashi nodded to himself. "Asahi, right?"

"That's right." Aito nodded, his expression solemn as he put his hands in his pockets with a quiet sigh. "Halloween was always her favorite."

He was silent for a moment before he grinned again.

"Anyway, if you don't want to miss anything, we'd better go." He turned to leave, followed by Asuma, Kurenai, and then Kakashi.

Kakashi stopped and turned to see Guy pouting. Aito glanced back, made a face at his costume, and then sighed.

"Oh, come on. You can come, too." Aito turned back around, shuddering. _"At least everyone will get a kick out of his costume..."_

* * *

**The Cabin~**

Natsumi and Kankuro reached the cabin quickly at the same time she finished explaining her plan. They rested on the roof for a moment and she let out a breath as the last of the sunlight illuminated the sky, creating vibrant reds, oranges, and violets on the horizon.

"So... do you think we call pull it off?" She looked at him as they sat together, whispering almost inaudibly so her voice couldn't carry.

His face warmed with hers so close and he shrugged Crow from his shoulder and nodded.

"The trick will be to keep it simple... nothing over the top." He chuckled. "I can't believe they actually think there's a real ghost."

Natsumi giggled quietly and nodded. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces."

They shared a quiet laugh and her shoulder gently nudged his. Their eyes met and then they quickly looked away, falling silent.

"So..." Kankuro began quickly. "About before..."

Natsumi's face flushed and she bit her lip. "I-I don't normally do things like that." She stared down at the roof. "A-Actually... that was my first kiss."

His eyes widened slightly and he looked at her. "I-it was??"

She nodded slowly, her eyes growing hot now.

"Could have fooled me..." He mumbled to himself and scratched his head. "But why me?"

Natsumi glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I just happened to look over and see you, and I thought you were cute..." She paused and played with the end of her hair. "But... my body just moved on its own."

Kankuro blushed faintly. "I'm... cute?"

Natsumi nodded again, blushing deeper as she answered in a murmur. "Very."

His own blush deepened as he watched her flushing uncontrollably and he pointed to his face. "You don't think I look scary like this?"

"Why would I?' She shrugged and averted her eyes. "It's just some paint; it doesn't change what you actually look like."

"Heh." He chuckled and scratched his head again, keeping his eyes on her. _"When she makes that face, she looks so cute."_ He cleared her throat quickly. "You know... you're really cute, too."

Natsumi looked up at him. "I-I am?"

"Yeah." He watched as she looked away briefly. "... and fun, too." He chuckled. "Temari can be so uptight, and Gaara..." He paused. "Well, he's himself."

Natsumi smiled faintly. "They're your siblings, so they can't be all that bad."

"If only you knew." Kankuro let out a long breath. "Temari does nothing but boss everyone around and the other..." His expression darkened as the light vanished over the horizon. "He'd kill me if I got in his way."

"You're afraid of your brother?" Natsumi asked softly.

"You've seen what he's like." Kankuro answered quietly.

Natsumi quieted, then looked away as she muttered under her breath. "You'd be afraid of me, too, if you knew better."

"Huh?" He blinked. "What'd you say?"

Natsumi flashed a brilliant smile and turned to him. "Nothing." She looked out at the forest around them and lowered her voice. "They're getting closer now."

She made a hand sign and created several clones, and watched as they transformed. Each looked exactly like the Princess and Natsumi grinned.

"Alright, you guys know what to do. Stay hidden until the signal."

The clones nodded and vanished into the forest and Natsumi carefully edged closer to a hole in the room and pointed inside.

"We've got a perfect view from here."

Kankuro nodded and flexed his fingers. "Yeah, but they'll see us if they look up."

Natsumi smirked faintly and shook her head. "Let me handle that." Closing her eyes, her Chakra swelled and cocooned her, and she vanished. His eyes widened in surprise and he crossed his arms.

"Invisibility, huh? I'm impressed."

Her body faded into view once more and she smiled. "Thanks. I'll be able to hide us both, just in case, but only for a short period of time. I can keep it up for myself for a while, but trying to keep someone invisible is more difficult."

They pressed themselves against the roof to hide as they heard the group approaching through the trees.

"Are you ready?" Natsumi eyed Kankuro, who smirked.

"It's showtime."

* * *

**The Party~**

Aito opened the back door to the underground pitlike room and stepped inside, leading the other Jonin inside. The lighting was dimmed overhead and the bulbs had been switched to colored bulbs, illuminating the large area with orange, purple, and green. Impromptu spotlights had been mounted just for the occasion and flashed bursts of color.

Large speakers had been set up all around, blaring music as dozens of costumed people danced and mingled. A bar had been set up against one wall with a plethora of various kinds of alcohol, and a long table nearby was completed filled with platters of food. Several small tables were positioned off to the sides, though all but a few seats remained empty.

Aito raised his hand as he entered, grinned, and shouted above the din. "Look who's here!"

The crowd turned at the new arrivals, many raising their glasses in greeting as the spotlight moved to the latecomers.

"Kakashi!" Roared the group, whooping in a cheer.

The silver-haired Jonin scratched his head awkwardly at the reception and Kurenai chuckled.

"It seems you're quite the celebrity." She commented, and Kakashi shrugged.

Aito sighed and crossed his arms. "Oh, come on now! I meant me." He laughed and nudged Kakashi. "I told ya everyone would be thrilled to see you. You're a legend, after all."

Kakashi let out a short sigh and stuck his hands into his pocket, the crowd returning to their activities.

Aito motioned to the others. "Come on. I'll do a few introductions for you before I let you run free."

He strode forward and pointed toward the brunette behind the bar.

"The one mixing drinks and wearing a devil costume that almost shows enough skin to be classified as lingerie is Hana. She's heavy-handed when making drinks, so her concoctions will tear you up if you can't hold your own liquor." He chuckled. "So, drink at your own risk."

Aito approached the bar and pointed at the dark-skinned woman in an equally-revealing nurse's costume.

"And this is Kiri. She's the thirstiest one here, but especially when drunk. Approach with caution."

The woman's head whipped around and she flicked his nose quickly, then crossed her arms.

"Ass." Kiri laughed and looked over the new arrivals, her eyes falling on Kakashi and Asuma with a faint smirk. "Although... you did bring snacks, so I forgive you."

The two men blinked in surprise and Aito rolled his eyes and rubbed his nose, then eyed the drink in her hand. "Drinking already? You're setting yourself up to lose to me again this year."

Kiri's mouth turned down in a frown and she put her in on her hip. "This one drink is not going to be enough to stop me from kicking your ass later and taking your title. You just wait."

Aito laughed and crossed his arms, leaning forward. "Oh, yeah? Says the one who can't even get past the third round."

Kiri growled. "I _will_ beat you this year."

"Sure, sure." Aito shrugged and turned to look at Hana, who leaned over the bar.

"Inviting outsiders to my party, are we?" Hana laughed under her breath and smiled at the group. "I'm Hana. Can I get you anything to drink? Open bar, so no charge."

"I'll pass." Kakashi answered and the others shook their heads.

Hana shrugged. "Your loss." She looked over Kakashi and Asuma, then winked at Kiri. "Nice snacks, huh?"

Kiri winked back with a nod. "My thoughts exactly."

The women blinked at Kurenai's glare, and then laughed quietly.

"Anyway," Hana started again. "The more the merrier, we say. I hope you're going to play Pumpkin Shots later. We're always looking for new players—" She scowled and quickly grabbed the arm of a blond teenage boy as he attempted to grab a bottle of liquor and dash away. "Yuuta, dammit! Get out of here!"

He scowled and tried to pull away from her iron grip while reaching for the bottle she held out of his reach.

"Let me go, skank!" He snapped. "Give it back!"

"What did you call me?" Hana glared and tightened her grip as he stubbornly reached for the bottle. "You're only seventeen! You can't have this!"

Kiri glared and slammed her hand on the counter, then pointed at her nephew. "You little shit. Don't talk to her like that."

"Stay out of this, whore." Yuuta shot her a glare and Aito groaned.

"Look, Hana, just give him the bottle. When he gets four sips in and gets knocked on his ass, it'll be his fault."

Hana looked between the teen and Aito. "I can't give a minor liquor...." She stared at Yuuta, then released him after a moment and held out the bottle. "But I do want you to get out of my sight." He took it from her quickly and he shoved him away. "Now get lost, you little prick."

Yuuta flashed his middle finger and disappeared in the crowd and Kiri sighed deeply and crossed her arms.

"That damn kid." Hana growled.

"Well, he's gone now, and not our problem." AIto chuckled and glanced at the four Jonin. "That was Yuuta. Kiri's nephew."

"Nephew." Kiri scoffed. "More like a monster."

"And he's got his eye on our little Natsumi, too." Hana shook her head.

"Not if I can help it." Kiri retorted and finished her drink.

"You know Natsumi?" Guy asked, and the women looked his way, hiding looks of confusion or disgust.

"Of course we do." Kiri grinned. "She's in our squad."

"She's our precious little cinnamon roll." Hana laughed. "So sweet and innocent."

Guy's eyes widened in surprise. "Natsumi... is in the ANBU?"

"You didn't know?" Kakashi glanced at his rival. "The decision caused a bit of a stir."

"Oh really?" Guy crossed his arms, remembering when he and Kakashi were younger. _"That girl doesn't seem the type for work as gruesome as that."_

"It's true." Asuma nodded.

"She's young, but I've heard that she's highly skilled." Kurenai agreed with Asuma and rested her hand on his arm.

"Damn right she is." Kiri nodded. "We're lucky to have her."

"Hey." Aito interrupted. "You seen Satoshi anywhere?"

The women pointed toward one of the tables simultaneously.

"He's with Rie, of course." Hana lowered her arm and moved to attend to a group of dancers that approached the bar.

"Thanks!" Aito waved in appreciation, then motioned for the Jonin to follow him with a short nod of his head. "Come on. There's still some more people to introduce."

Aito gestured to the source of the music— a black-haired woman with headphones at a turntable, wearing a shimmering mermaid dress with artificial pearls adorning her head.

"Ahmya. She's Hana's cousin but they're pretty different."

The strode alongside the banquet table and he drew in a large breath and grinned. "And Sena, of course."

Sena looked up from her chair behind the table, resting her book on her lap.

"Hm?" She looked them over and waved at Aito. "Oh, it's you." Her eyes rested on Kakashi in recognition and she gave a short wave in greeting. "And you, too. I didn't expect you to actually come."

Aito grabbed a plate and began to fill it with a wide array of foods, stuffing a few bites into his mouth with a satisfied moan.

"Sena, you outdid yourself again." He muttered and smiled, then swallowed. "For someone who doesn't have a man, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen."

Sena rolled her eyes as he laughed, but smiled. "Ha ha. Kiri made the same joke as we were setting up."

"Damn." He shrugged. "Oh well, I'll still beat her later and we'll be even for her stealing my joke."

Sena carefully placed a bookmark in her novel and set it aside, crossing her arms.

"Kiri promised to not go overboard this year in order to be a good role model for Natsumi."

Aito laughed loudly and popped another bite into his mouth.

"Kiri? Hold back? That's not going to happen. You know how she gets once it's game time."

Sena let out a long breath and shook her head. "You guys are a mess. I feel like your mom, you know."

"Then stop acting like one."

Sena looked at the group and eyed Kurenai's dress with a smile.

"You look great! And I love the coordination." Sena motioned to Asuma.

"Thanks." Kurenai answered and looked over the table.

"You made all this yourself?" Asuma picked up an hor's d'oeuvre and took a bite.

Sena nodded with a smile. "Cooking is a hobby of mine. It's really the only reason why I'm allowed at these parties since I'm a minor." She motioned to the stack of plates. "Go ahead and help yourself. If you wait until everyone else eats, the selection will be poor and everything will be a mess. Drunk people are very sloppy."

Aito chuckled and rubbed his head. "And sometimes in years past, the table's been wrecked during the game, so it's probably best to eat now or risk missing out."

"What's this game I keep hearing about?" Guy asked, intrigued.

"Oh, boy." Sena rolled her eyes again as she explained. "Pumpkin Shots is a drinking game invented by Kiri and Aito when they were teenagers. It became much bigger once Hana joined the team and began to throw holiday parties. It's really messy and involves a _lot_ of drinking. And I mean _a lot._ " She shook her head. "If your idea of a good time is not passing out in a pool of your own vomit, I suggest you not play. It's more fun anyway to watch everyone make a fool of themselves."

Aito scoffed. "When you say it like that, it sounds horrible."

"Without watching it, I can already tell that it is." Asuma smirked at his relative, who crossed his arms.

"Oh, come on! Pumpkin Shots is a tradition and a classic! If you'd stop acting like an old man, you'd know how great it was."

"I look forward to beating you this year." A low, rumbling voice like thunder made them turn to look, interrupting as they began to make themselves plates.

"Ah, Enmei!" AIto patted the giant man's muscled arm and looked him over. "Isn't that the same costume as last year?" He glanced toward the middle brother, who was even taller. "You too, Matou? Same costume?"

"We like them." Matou answered in a deep murmur.

"What are you supposed to be?" Guy sized the men up, both taller than him by several inches.

Enmei patted the curly green wig he wore and glanced down at his brown shirt and pants. "A tree."

Matou, who wore a white wig and all-gray ensemble, pointed to himself. "A snow-crested mountain."

"And I'm a kitten." Benjiro, the tallest of the trio who dwarfed even Asuma by a full head, tilted his head to reveal a pair of tiny black cat's ears atop his head

"How... appropriate." Kurenai gazed between the shorter two, then at the tallest. "And... creative."

"What are you supposed to be?" Benjiro turned to Aito who made a face.

"Oh, come on. I know it's not fancy, but it's obvious!" Aito pointed to the pair of pointed ears on his head, and then to the cat tails clipped to the back of his pants. "Right?"

They blinked and Asuma put a hand on his hip. "A cat?"

Aito groaned loudly and Kurenai counted the tails he wore.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox?" She guessed, and Aito broke into a grin, then clapped.

"Very good, your loveliness."

"Although... you only have eight tails there." She pointed at his backside. "You're missing one."

AIto smirked and Sena facepalmed.

"Now you've done it." She muttered.

Aito laughed and revealed a button in his sleeve and held his thumb over it. " _Am I?_ " He pressed the button and a long, orange balloon filled instantly and sprung from the top of his pants. He smirked and moved his hips to exaggerate the balloon's phallic appearance. "And here's the ninth."

Kurenai blushed faintly as they stared in surprise. Asuma let out a breath and shook his head slowly.

"I should have expected that from you."

"Huh? Huh?" Aito laughed. "Isn't it great?" Looking over their expressions, he deflated the balloon and tucked it back into his pants with a pout. "Man, you guys are no fun."

"You should act your age." Asuma lectured.

" _Right_." Aito rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm going to find someone who can actually appreciate my humor." She gave a sloppy salute and turned to walk into the crowd of dancers. "See ya later!"

The towering brothers began to eat as well and Sena let out a sigh and looked at the four out-of-place Jonin.

"Sorry about Aito. He's really a nice guy for the most part. He's just rude sometimes." She smiled and leaned her arms against the table. "Why don't I introduce you guys to Rie and Satoshi? I think you'll find them easier to get along with than anyone else here." She gestured at one of the nearby tables. "Besides, they're just sitting there by themselves. They'd probably enjoy the company."

Sena stood and set her book down in her place, then smoothed the skirt of her dress and stepped out from behind the table. Her costume was simple but detailed, with a simple strapless bodice and a layered skirt that resembled giant petals. She carried a small plate of chocolates over to the table and placed it in front of the woman.

"Hi, you two." Sena smiled and gestured to the Jonin behind her. "I brought some company, if that's alright."

Rie's eyes widened at the chocolate offering and she immediately nodded and shoved a piece into her mouth.

"Sena, you're a god." Rie winked and waved at the newcomers. "Take a seat if ya want to. We don't bite."

Rie sat up straighter in the chair with a smirk. Her long, brown hair was tied into a single ponytail that fell to her knees, her dark eyes were framed with neon orange eyeliner for the holiday, and her eyebrow piercing had been replaced with one with a skull's beaming face and empty eyes. She was dressed as a policewoman.

The man beside her wore a bright orange prisoner's jumpsuit, unzipped to his navel to reveal his well-muscled chest covered in colorful tattoos. Sena took a seat on Rie's other side.

"So, is this your first party like this?" Rie popped another chocolate into her mouth and leaned forward to look at the group as they sat around the table. "You're in for a real treat."

"I didn't expect this from ANBU." Kakashi commented and looked around. "Things have changed quite a bit."

Rie laughed quietly and shook her head. "S'not that so much has changed, it's just that ya never hung out with this crowd before. There are several Teams here that like to have fun on their downtime, and then there are plenty of ones that take everything too seriously and avoid each other when off-duty."

"As I recall, we invited you the very first year we hosted a party, and you walked away. Said it was a waste of time." Satoshi agreed and looked at Kakashi.

"Did I?" He scratched his head, smiling slightly. "Sorry about that. I was a little crass back then."

"No big deal." Rie shrugged and ate the last of the chocolate. "Although it's a bit disappointing you finally show up and it's our last party."

"Why the last?" Kurenai asked.

"Last for us." Satoshi clarified, crossing his arms and leaned back in the chair.

Rie nodded. "As of the end of the month, we're no longer ANBU. We're retiring while we're still in one piece."

Sena leaned against Rie until their shoulders touched. "And we're going to really miss you guys. Without you, dealing with the Captain will be unbearable."

Asuma glanced at Satoshi, then to Rie knowingly. "What are your plans from here on?"

"Was considerin' opening our own shop. Too many blank canvases walking around to resist the temptation." Satoshi answered. "Not enough people respect the art anymore."

The already dim lighting dimmed further and the music grew quieter as the spotlights gathered to illuminate an empty circle in the middle of the crowd. Rie grinned and cracked her fists.

_"Oh_ , it's fight time." As she attempted to stand, Satoshi put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She made a face and crossed her arms bitterly. "Oh... _right._ Can't fight this year."

"Sorry." Satoshi muttered.

Kurenai met Rie's eyes, finally realizing. "Oh, I see now." " _So that's why they're retiring."_

Rie patted Satoshi's chest. "You go kick their asses for me, Noby. I want that prize."

Satoshi stood and cracked his neck with a smirk. "You got it."

"Fighting?" Guy asked, looking between the spotlight and the woman.

"Hell yeah." Rie laughed. "If you like to box, the prize for the champion is nice as hell."

"Boxing?" Guy grinned and touched his chin.

Sena nodded. "There are a few rules, though. Fists only, no Jutsu, no weapons, no fatal blows. Other than that, everything goes."

"It's a fucking dream for a Taijutsu specialist." Rie chuckled and sipped her water.

Guy's eyes widened and he stood quickly. "I won't lose to anyone! The power of youth fuels me!" He dashed off and left them blinking.

Rie shrugged and leaned forward, holding her hand up to whisper as she looked at the Jonin. "Now that he's gone... can anyone explain why he's dressed like a toddler?"

* * *

**Konahamaru Trio~**

Natsumi walked with her hands in her pockets and her wig in one of her back pouches. The group walked through the village as Trick-or-Treating was nearly over, chatting amongst themselves.

"...And another thing," Shikamaru glanced at the redhead. "you could have at least tried to play the role of the Princess more accurately. A girl born during that era wouldn't have been so easily accepting of us all dressed in costumes. Halloween wasn't celebrated then."

Natsumi stuck her tongue out. "Alright, alright; I get it. You've pointed out plenty of flaws in my acting. I'll make sure to get it right the next time I play a prank so that I'll really get you."

"Next time?!" Naruto looked at her and narrowed his eyes.

"Yup." She giggled and crossed her arms. "Don't worry; I'm going to need plenty of time to come up with a foolproof plan. You don't have to worry about anything just yet."

"Neesan!"

Natsumi turned toward the voice and grinned. "Konohamaru!" She ran toward the voice and wrapped Konahamaru in a tight hug and then held him at arm's length. "I was hoping to run into you. You look great!"

Naruto walked over and looked him up and down. "What are you supposed to be?"

Konahamaru laughed and put his hands on his hips. "I'm the Hokage!"

"Huh?" Naruto crossed his arms and leaned closer. "I don't see it. You don't look like the Old Man."

Natsumi giggled. "He's _all_ of the Hokages." He pointed at Konahamaru's long brown wig. "He's got the hair of the First Hokage," her finger moved to point at face. "the Happuri and red facial markings of the Second Hokage, a pipe like Lord Third..."

Konahamaru turned around and pointed at the billowing white and red jacket. "And a cloak like Lord Fourth's!"

Natsumi adjusted the scarf around Konahamaru's neck to shorten the length in front so he wouldn't trip. "And his own scarf, of course, as his own unique accessory." She shared a look with Konahamaru, and then high-fived. "It looks even better all pulled together than when you were planning it."

"Thanks, Neesan!"

"Neechan?" Naruto scratched his cheek. "Hey, hey, you guys are awfully close. When did that happen?"

Natsumi ruffled the boy's hair and looked down at him. "Months ago."

"Konahamaru!" Moegi called out, followed by Udon, who ran behind her. She stopped running when she saw her friend, panting heavily. "You ran so fast I didn't know where you were."

"Sorry." He laughed to himself and Ebisu appeared behind Moegi, pushing his glasses up and glaring as he saw the Uzumaki twins.

"Honorable Grandson, you shouldn't run off on your own like that. It's quite late."

Konahamaru muttered to himself and crossed his arms, turning away. "Like I care."

"I like your costumes." Natsumi knelt down to look at Moegi, who smiled and spun in a circle.

"I'm a butterfly princess!" Moegi giggled.

"And I'm a banana." Udon adjusted his own glasses.

Natsumi giggled and patted their heads. "You guys look so cute." She frowned slightly. "You're not collecting candy, though?"

Konahamaru scowled. "Those Sand Village guys scared us and took our candy when we ran off and dropped it."

Natsumi blushed faintly and she felt many pairs of eyes watching her from behind, then she let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. "I can get it back for you."

The trio's eyes widened.

"R-Really?" Moegi stared up at her and sniffed. "You'd do that?"

Natsumi nodded. "Of course." She scratched her cheek and averted her eyes briefly. "Just out of curiosity, how many of them did it? All three?"

"You're not planning on beating them up, are you?" Konahamaru stared at her. "They're really creepy."

Natsumi laughed. "No, nothing like that. But, if I talk to them about it, I'd like to only address the ones involved."

"It was just the scary girl and the red-haired guy." Udon answered quietly.

"I don't know where the third one was." Konahamaru glared at the thought. "That jerk."

Natsumi sighed again. _Good. Kankuro wasn't part of it._ She patted Moegi's head again. "I'll get your candy back for you, alright? So, don't be upset about it anymore."

"Thank you, Neechan!" The trio stared at her gratefully and she stood and giggled.

"No problem! I'll see you guys later!"

Natsumi turned and met Ebisu's eyes, smirking faintly and pointing at him.

"By the way, Four Eyes, your virgin costume is spot on."

Ebisu's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open.

"V-Virgin?!" He stared her in shock. "A-A child your age shouldn't know about such things!"

Konahamaru covered his mouth, snorting and laughing loudly.

Natsumi giggled and stuck out her tongue at Ebisu. "Virgin."

He gaped larger and stuttered. "W-Why you!"

Natsumi laughed again and rejoined the group and as they continued to walk back to the public records buildings.

* * *

**Pumpkin Shots~**

Ahmya raised Guy's arm into the air as the crowd cheered, holding the microphone to her lips as she grinned.

"This year's boxing champ! Might Guy!"

Another round of cheering broke out and Ahmya released his hand. She retrieved a small box and opened it up, holding it out to Guy.

"As our new Champion, I present you with the prestigious golden Kunai of Champions." The golden weapon gleamed in the light and Guy's eyes widened as he took it.

"I-Is this... solid gold?!"

Ahmya laughed and put her hand on her hip. "You'd better believe it. There are no lame prizes here." Reaching into the box, she took out a slip of paper and held it up for him to see. "And, your second prize— a thirty-thousand-yen gift certificate for Yakiniku Q."

Guy stared incredulously between the prizes. "T-This is for me?"

"Of course." Ahmya giggled. "I wouldn't have expected anyone but Konoha's own Blue Beast to come on top of a fight. Well done."

Guy touched his chin, grinning with a wink. "Naturally, of course."

Ahmya patted his arm with a smile, then turned to the crowd with a hand on her hip, raising the microphone to her lips. "Alright... You know what time it is now!"

"Pumpkin Shots!" Aito called out, and a loud chant broke out. The lighting adjusted and brightened, revealing five targets painted on the back wall. Aito led the group over, whooping as they set up five tables, each positioned in front of a target, ten meters from the targets

Ahmya lowered the mic and turned to Guy. "So, Mr. Champion, will you be playing?"

Guy blinked at the nickname before crossing his arms with a smirk. "I don't normally turn down a challenge, however, drinking games are something that I try to avoid."

"That's too bad." Ahmya giggled and touched his arm gently, leading him toward the commotion. "It's always so much fun, but it's also fun to be a spectator."

In the front of the group now, Aito, Hana, and Kiri were nearly finished setting up and Ahmya released Guy's arm and stepped forward.

"Are we almost ready?" She asked and looked between the trio, who nodded.

"I think so." Kiri chuckled to herself and put her hands on her hips.

"We've got the targets, tables, and a ton of pumpkins." She pointed to a massive crate, nearly overflowing with miniature pumpkins that could easily fit in the palm of the hand.

"And we've got the glasses and booze." Hana grinned and held up four bottles in her hands. "I think this should be enough for the first match."

"What about the buckets?" Sena crossed her arms and looked at AIto, who thumbed to a large stack of buckets in the corner. "I _will not_ be helping to clean up after everyone this year."

"Got it covered already." He chuckled. "They still smell a little from last year, though, but they'll work."

Sena made a face. "Ew."

Aito glanced at Asuma, nudging his side. "So, Old Man, are you gonna play?

Asuma scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'll pass."

"Lame." Aito chuckled.

"Alright," Ahmya looked to Aito. "Explain the game for the newcomers and then we can decide who's playing first."

"My pleasure." Aito bowed dramatically and stepped in the center with a smirk. "First, I want everyone to know that Pumpkin Shots is a tradition that began with Kiri and I as kids, and now it's a popular game. Respect its history." He narrowed his gaze at Asuma, and then rested his hands on his hips.

"The game is pretty straightforward— five people play at a time, and stand at their own station." He motioned to the tables. "At the beginning of each round, the players are each given a pumpkin and five shots."

Kiri tossed a small pumpkin through the air and he caught it easily, holding it up in his hand for them to see.

"Once Ahmya blows the whistle," Aito continued, nodding toward the woman as she held up a silver whistle in her hand. "The match begins." He held up the pumpkin. "First, you throw the pumpkin into the air like this." He tossed it up into the air several meters above his head, then caught it gently again. "You're going to drink all five shots as the pumpkin is falling, finishing before the pumpkin comes back down."

Aito pointed to the five empty shot glasses on the table before him. "Once you take the shots and catch the pumpkin, you spin in a circle five times, then throw the pumpkin at the target." He pointed to the targets. "If you miss the target completely, you're out. But, if all five players hit the target, you start another round and do it all over again until there's only one person left standing." He crossed his arms. "Any questions?"

Kiri looked at the four newcomers with a smirk. "So, whaddya think? Are you guys going to play?"

Kakashi looked at the setup, then shook his head. _"To drink that much in such a short period of time... anyone who would agree to this game is reckless."_

The Jonin blinked at Aito, and then glanced at each other.

"I'll pass on the alcohol poisoning." Asuma replied, keeping the unlit cigarette between his lips.

"I'm not against having a few drinks..." Guy began. "however, this seems like too much for me."

Aito groaned and crossed his arms. "I should have known you geezers would have been no fun."

Asuma and Guy stared at him for a moment, their faces twitching.

"Geezers?!" Guy gaped.

Aito waved his hands. "Alright, boring old geezers out of the way. Make room for the people who actually know how to have fun."

"B-Boring?" Guy stood dumbstruck. "G-Geezer?!" He clenched his fists suddenly with a fire in his eyes and looked at Aito. "I'm neither boring nor old! I'm in the springtime of youth!"

Aito laughed and put a hand on his hip. "Then prove it, _geezer._ Do you have it takes to keep up with me in a drinking game?"

Kakashi put his hands into his pockets and sighed quietly. _"He's done it now."_

"I accept your challenge!" Guy approached and met the younger man's eyes with an intense look. "I'll show you the power of youth!"

* * *

**Oto-Sama-**

The group approached the records building and Natsumi grinned and picked up her pace, bursting through the door with a grin as she quickly located the old woman at the desk.

"Oto-sama!" She beamed and approached the desk. The woman's eyes widened and she looked up from her writing with a wry smile as the rest of the group entered the building.

"Ah..." She released a puff of smoke at the girl and set her brush down to ruffle Natsumi's hair. "If it isn't my favorite visitor."

Natsumi giggled and leaned against the desk. "You're looking extraordinarily lovely today, Oto-sama. Did you do something different with your makeup?"

The woman chuckled to herself and struck a pose, pouting her lips. "You have such keen eyes, as always. And excellent taste." She puffed on the pipe again. "If only my own children or grandchildren had your impeccable taste and style."

Natsumi smiled at the praise and Oto nodded in acknowledgment at the group. "The heroes return from their noble quest..." She leaned forward with a gleam in her eye. "Tell me... were you successful? Did you find the amulet?"

They looked amongst themselves with uneasiness at the woman and Lee answered.

"Well, we found the amulet—"

"Oh, wonderful!" Oto clapped her hands together with a smile. "That's excellent news! I'm sure the Princess is peacefully resting in the afterlife with her family. After all, she deserves peace after meeting such a terrible fate."

Oto looked at Natsumi, switching the hand that held her pipe, and met her eyes. "As for you... do you care to explain why you haven't visited me in almost a year? Without you, I've had no decent company."

Natsumi's cheeks warmed slightly and she smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I meant to visit again, but I've been so busy lately. I promise to come back tomorrow and catch you up on everything that's happened."

Oto paused, chewing on the end of her pipe for a moment before eventually nodded. "Very well. I hope you have quite a bit of juicy gossip to tell. You know how I love to gossip."

Natsumi giggled and played with the end of her hair. "Oh, believe me; I've got plenty of stories for you."

"Wonderful, wonderful." Oto chuckled. "And bring me some nice flowers while you're at it." She pointed to the empty vase off the toe side of her desk. "For some reason, that bratty granddaughter of mine refuses to bring me more flowers."

"Of course, Oto-sama." Natsumi eyed the vase. "Actually, my friend Sena is working on creating her own hybridized flowers now. I'm sure she can spare enough to make you a bouquet as lovely and unique as you."

Oto chuckled and patted Natsumi on the head. "What a sweet girl. Flattery will get you anywhere."

Oto turned back to Lee and released a puff of smoke that swirled around him. "So, the impassioned knight-in-shining-armor who freed the princess... where did you find the amulet? Did you solve the mystery?"

"The surviving guard was the one behind it all." Shikamaru answered and the woman's eyes fell on him in surprise.

"Hisoka?" Oto murmured softly in thought. "I would have never guessed."

Oto's eyes narrowed as she caught Natsumi leafing through a bookshelf and pointed the end of her pipe at her.

"Ahem, young lady!"

Natsumi froze in place, smiling innocently as she turned to the old woman. "Y-Yes?"

Oto chuckled and returned the pipe to her mouth. "You won't find the information you're looking for over there." She reached into one of the sashes tied around her waist and retrieved a folded slip of paper, holding it in between two fingers.

Natsumi's eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the paper, opening it up as her eyes grew wider.

"Oto-sama!" She looked at the woman in awe. "Is this really it?"

"But of course." Oto chuckled. "I told you I could find it."

"Where what was?" Naruto tried to lean closer to his twin to see, but a creature made from smoke blocked his vision.

"It's private." Oto wagged a finger at the blond Uzumaki, then winked at the redheaded one. "You should go fetch it now." She eyed the time with a small smirk. "Before the guards rotate again."

Natsumi smirked and nodded, stuffing the paper into her pocket. "Be back in a second!"

She turned invisible and left the building, the door seemingly opening on its own and shutting once more.

Oto chuckled to herself and released a long, smoky breath. "I do like that girl. If only my children were like her."

Her eyes rested on the remaining Genin. "So, Hisoka did it, did he? Were you able to determine a motive?"

"He wanted the amulet for himself." Sakura answered. "He tried to take it from the Princess as she slept, but she woke up and he killed her before she could alert the others. It was an accident, really."

"I see." Oto tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How did you discover this?"

Shikamaru held up the journal that he had been carrying with him, and Oto's eyes opened wider.

"O-ho. A journal." She held out her hands. "May I see it?"

He passed it over and she leafed through it eagerly. "I see... I see." Finally, she blew a small smoke ring, chuckled, and closed the book. "It's quite clear now." She eyed the Genin again. "And the amulet... where did you find it?'

"In the fireplace." Shikamaru replied.

"Of course." Oto tapped the journal gently. "You have all done incredible work. It makes me happy to know that the Princess is finally at peace now." A small puff of smoke formed into the figure of a rabbit, hopping across the desk slowly. "Were you able to see her spirit?"

They looked between them, and Naruto crossed his arms with his lips pursed, remembering Natsumi's prank.

"N-Not exactly..." Sakura answered.

"Hmm..." Oto paused. "And what of the pendant? What's been done with it?"

"Uh..." They looked between themselves and Shikamaru made a face.

"...Natsumi had it last." He answered.

Oto paused and laughed, the swirling smoke twisting into grinning faces before fading away. "Natsumi had it?" She took a long drag. "I see..." Her eyes narrowed curiously. "By any chance... when Natsumi was in possession of the pendant... did it glow?"

"Glow?" Naruto blinked, then thought for a moment. "Well, a little."

"B-But... She was playing a bit of a prank on us. I'm sure that was why." Sakura added.

Oto-sama closed her eyes and smirked. "The glowing... was it constant or in weaker flashes?"

"Um..." Lee thought. "Flashes?"

Oto chuckled quietly. "And its color? Blue? Red? Amber?"

"A-Amber..." Sakura eyed the old woman. "Why?"

Oto's eyes opened and smoke swirled around her, muttering to herself. "How interesting... it seems the Uzumaki legacy will live on, after all."

"Legacy?" Naruto looked at the old woman. "What Uzumaki legacy?"

Oto waved a hand. "Sorry, blondie. An old woman's got to have some secrets."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Blondie?! I'm an Uzumaki, too, ya know!"

"I suppose." She chuckled to herself.

"What's the glowing mean?" Shikamaru asked plainly.

"Hm?" Oto smirked faintly. "The pendant has its own will. Only the royal family knew all of its secrets."

"Then, how come you seem to know so much about it?" Ino put a hand on her hip.

Oto chuckled. "A man will spill all of his secrets to a woman if she warms his bed and sates his hunger." She rested her chin on her hand and blew a smoke ring. "Lord Ichiro was no different."

"It was quite the scandal." Oto laughed to herself and waved her hand. "A woman like myself seducing a Lord so easily... I was quite infamous."

Her expression changed and she brought the pipe back to her lips. "So... where is the pendant now?"

"I... don't know." Sakura thought, crossing her arms.

"I... I saw Natsumi bury it under the tree." Hinata spoke up, her voice barely a whisper.

"Ah... did she?" Oto released a slow tendril of smoke. "Such a good girl. I've always liked her." She rested her eyes on the group, a long pause falling between them. "Well, it's quite late. You all should run home. I've got to update my book."

The smoke shifted to form a snake that curled into a ball on the desk and rested its head on itself as it flicked its tongue at them.

"Do come again, though. You've piqued my interest." Oto smirked faintly. "There is a wealth of knowledge here, and innumerable secrets I could share... for the right price, of course. And," She paused again, reaching out to pat Naruto's cheek briefly. "I do enjoy company. No one ever comes to see me anymore. Come visit anytime you like."

Naruto froze in place at her touch and a chill ran down his spine. _"So cold!"_

"W-We will." Sakura smiled sheepishly with the half-hearted promise and turned to leave slowly.

"Goodbye now." Oto waved and they walked to the door.

Before they could leave, a woman's voice interrupted.

"May I help you? We're closed for today. Come back tomorrow."

They turned to see her. She was in her early twenties, with dark hair, light eyes, and an exasperated expression.

"U-Uh... no thanks. We only came to see Oto-sama." Sakura looked at the woman, who let out a short, hot breath and scowled.

"You came looking for Granny?" She scoffed. "That old hag isn't even worth mentioning."

"That's horrible to say about your own grandmother." Ino chided. "Especially since she's right—"

They turned to look at the desk, but the old woman was gone.

The air chilled around them and they paled.

"B-B-But..." Naruto stared. "S-She was right there..."

The woman groaned and crossed her arms. "Did my brother put you up to this? That jerk is always making a mess of everything without caring how much extra work it leaves me."

She picked up a large basket from the corner, muttering as she dumped the desk's contents into the basket. "It's not enough that the old hag had to die and we had to come work in the records in her place, _no._ We've got to relabel and organize everything because she was so disorderly. And then my stupid brother keeps bringing all Granny's things from the basement and putting them out as if she's still here."

Sakura gulped as they overheard the woman muttering to herself. "D-Did you say that... your grandmother died?"

The woman knocked Oto's book of ghost stories into the basket and turned to them with a scowl.

"Yeah. Six months ago." She eyed the pipe, picking it up with a sneer and blowing it out. "Old hag lived way past her expiration date anyway. I'm just sorry that she died in her sleep. That annoying old bitty should have at least suffered for how her superstitious quirks made us the butt of every joke growing up."

The Genin remained fixed in place, with even Shikamaru staring at the empty seat behind the desk.

"And then, my equally good-for-nothing brother keeps moving everything around just when I finally get it organized properly, and he keeps bringing all Granny's things back up. He insists it isn't him, but he's just as superstitious as she was." She scowled and returned to dumping the old woman's belongings into the basket. "The next time he pulls this stunt again, I'm burning all of her stuff and laughing in his face. I've already got enough work to do without him playing games."

After a while, she turned on the group and waved her hand irritably.

"What are you all still doing here? We're closed."

"B-But... the old lady was here just a moment ago..." Naruto blinked slowly. "We all saw her."

Otoko's expression darkened and she stood over them. "Alright, you're neither cute nor funny. Get out before I call the police on you for trespassing and loitering."

They left quickly and congregated outside the building.

"If Oto-sama died six months ago..." Sakura began. "Then... how did we see her?"

"C-Could it be?" TenTen shuddered. "A real... ghost?"

"It... can't be." Ino drew her arms in close.

"Genjutsu, perhaps?" Shino suggested quietly.

"Maybe this is still part of Natsumi's prank." Ino muttered and glanced toward the records building.

Sakura shook her head. "Natsumi can't do Genjutsu."

Naruto's hand trembled slightly as he touched the cheek that Oto had patted. "Her hand was like ice..." he muttered under his breath.

"Do you think... that was actually a real ghost?" Lee pondered.

"Hey, everyone!" Natsumi bounded over to them, fading out of invisibility with a small wrapped bundle in her arms as she stopped in front of them. "I guess Oto-sama kicked you out because of the time, right?" She smiled to herself and held her bundle closer. "Isn't she the best, though? I told you she was the best."

Natsumi began to walk away, grinning ear-to-ear as she carried her prize delicately in her arms and the group shared a blank look.

"Whatcha got?" Naruto caught up to her, eying the package.

"Just something I've been looking for a really long time." Natsumi beamed. "This will really help with my training... I can't believe she actually found it, though. I'll have to find a way to pay her back. I really owe her one."

He made a face and glanced back at Sakura, then lingered back as they whispered.

"I don't think she has any idea that Oto-sama actually died." Sakura commented and watched the redhead humming as she walked away.

"How do we know this isn't just part of her prank?" Ino's eyes followed the girl and narrowed.

"Shikamaru was able to see through it last time..." Sakura turned to him expectantly.

He remained quiet for some time, before shrugging. "There isn't any evidence that this is a rouse."

They continued after Natsumi, with Sakura walking beside her.

"So, Natsumi, how did you meet Oto-sama?"

Natsumi turned to Sakura with a shrug. "I was looking into old battle tactics and Jutsu when I met her. She helped me to find a lot of good scrolls that had exactly what I'd been looking for on it. Ever since then, I'd visit her a few times a week." Her pace slowed and she laughed under her breath. "Although, I haven't been in about a year and I feel terrible."

Natsumi leaned closer with a slight smirk as she whispered. "She's the one that gave me those books, ya know."

Sakura glanced back to the group, feeling a knot forming in her stomach. _"She has no idea... And I don't want to be the one to break it to her."_

Natsumi turned to Naruto and nudged him gently. "I'm off to go get Konahamaru's candy back. See you at home."

"U-Uh... Yeah." He scratched his head. "See you."

* * *

**Sand Siblings~**

Kankuro opened the sliding door of the guest house and stepped inside, slipping off his shoes. Temari was waiting for him with a scowl and her arms crossed.

"And where were you?"

He walked past her, carefully shrugging Crow from his shoulders. "Took a walk. Needed a break from your constant nagging."

She gave him a hard look. "Uh huh... you weren't with that girl, then?"

"What girl?" He ignored her as he went to the small kitchen area and plucked a piece of fruit from the bowl, taking a bite of it as he sat heavily onto the sofa.

Temari scoffed and lifted the small decorative mirror of the wall, thrusting it into his face for him to see his reflection. His eyes widened slightly in realization that his lips were a fleshy pink instead of purple.

"'Just taking a walk', hm?" She watched as his cheeks reddened slightly and she shoved her arm away.

"So what if I was with her?" He took another bite of the fruit and turned his gaze away. "It's none of your business."

Temari scowled and crossed her arms. "Have you forgotten why we're here? We didn't come here so you could get a girlfriend."

"Mind your own business."

"Listen, you!" She leaned forward, furrowing her brows as she gripped the front of his shirt. "I'm your elder sister!"

"Keep it down. You're annoying." Gaara's flat voice sounded from the other room, and they flinched.

Temari released Kankuro and crossed her arms, lowering her voice.

"Thanks for leaving me alone with him while you went on your date." She scowled.

He smirked up at her. "If you had come with us, you wouldn't have had to be. We scared those little runts good. You should have seen their faces. They completely believed it."

Temari muttered something under her breath and shook her head. "I'm going to bed."

She turned and left the room, disappearing into her own room and Kankuro sighed. After some time, he headed for bed himself, washing his face well before he lay down in bed. His eyes began to close when a faint tapping came from the window. He looked over and his cheeks warmed. Walking over to the window, he opened it and Natsumi stepped inside.

"W-What are you doing here?"

Natsumi blushed as she looked at his bare face, putting her hands into her pockets. "Konahamaru told me that your sister stole their Halloween candy, and I promised that I'd get it back."

He crossed his arms. "Heh... sounds like her."

"Konahamaru's like a little brother to me, so I can get pretty protective of him." She paused. "You might want to suggest to Temari that she should play nicer with the residents of the village she's a guest of."

He laughed quietly. "Yeah, right. Have you seen how short her fuse is?"

Natsumi shrugged. "You know her best, so you can do what you want. She should just be careful to not bother the wrong people. Not everyone is as nice as I am. There are a lot of people already distrustful of outsiders."

"Sounds like Suna." Kankuro commented, keeping his voice low. "I'll get the candy. Wait here."

He slipped out of the room for only a moment before he returned with the three bags and handed them over.

Natsumi smiled and held them carefully in her arms. "Thanks, Kankuro. You're a really sweet guy."

He blushed slightly and averted his eyes. "If you say so."

"I do." Natsumi took a step toward the window. "Thanks again for helping me earlier. I had fun."

"Me too." He shifted awkwardly where he stood.

"It's late, so I should get going now. I'm probably interrupting your sleep."

He scratched his head. "Nah, you're fine."

Natsumi giggled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "See you around."

As she turned to leave, he put his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. She blushed faintly and the corners of her mouth twitched in a smirk. "...Pathetic."

"Pathetic?" He chuckled and stepped closer, recognizing her reply. "Greedy girl..." He leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers for a drawn-out, soft kiss.

Natsumi's face flushed red as she returned the kiss and then pulled away. "I've gotta go before Naruto starts to wonder where I am." Biting her lip, she leaned forward and gave him a final, quick kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He watched her climb on the windowsill and turned back toward him.

"You know, you were cute before, but you're even cuter when you don't cover your face." Natsumi giggled and waved. "Bye!"

Kankuro watched her leave, his face hot as he shut his window and lay back down.

_"Temari's right... I'm not here to get a girlfriend."_ He crossed his arms, looking at the window from the corner of his eye, a smirk forming as he closed his eyes. _"But it's not as if I'm not allowed to."_

* * *

**Aftermath~**

The Genin stopped walking and chatting as their sensei came into view. Their eyes widened slightly as an unconscious Guy and Asuma were being half-carried, half-escorted by Kurenai and Kakashi.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee rushed to his sensei, who Kakashi was supporting.

"What happened?" Naruto looked between the Jonin, and Kakashi sighed.

"These two decided to play a drinking game." Kurenai chuckled as she supported Asuma. "They did manage to make it to the second round, though, before they blacked out."

TenTen giggled at Guy, who had a line of drool down his chin.

"Are they really okay?" Sakura looked between them.

"Of course." Kakashi smiled, his eye crinkling as he shrugged and Guy slid to the ground, snoring but remaining in the same state.

"They'll just need to sleep it off." Kurenai agreed and looked at Asuma with a sigh. "We did try to warn them, but they insisted on playing."

Guy twitched as he snored, muttering in his sleep. "Ahmya..."

Lee blinked and knelt by Guy's side. "Ahmya?"

"Just a woman who was at the party." Kakashi put his hands in his pockets. "She gave him one compliment, and now he's got a crush on her."

Naruto laughed and Kakashi lifted Guy off the ground once more. "Well, I should get him home."

Kurenai nodded and looked at her students. "You guys go home as well. It's very late."

The group said their goodbyes and split up.

Naruto walked by himself for some time, until he spotted a man in bright orange clothes. He laughed as he approached and Iruka turned around with a smile.

"Ah, Naruto. There you are. I was hoping to see you before you got home." He put his hands on his hips. "What do you think of my costume?"

Naruto looked his former teacher up and down, noticing the blonde, spiked wig and orange get-up.

"Iruka-sensei, you dressed up like me?"

Iruka smiled and scratched his cheek.

"Well, Konohamaru dressing as the former Hokage's gave me an idea." He met Naruto's eyes. "So, I decided to dress like the future Hokage."

Naruto's eyes widened, then watered and spilled over as Naruto looked at his teacher. "I-Iruka-sensei...."

Iruka patted Naruto's head. "Why don't I walk you the rest of the way home? And you can tell me all about your Halloween."

Naruto sniffed and wiped his eyes, looking up at the man and nodding. "Well, it all started when Kakashi-sensei told us a ghost story..."


	5. 2020 Christmas Special

_Natsumi and Naruto walked huddled close together for warmth as their thin jackets did little to stave off the cold. They had stuffed extra newspaper into the lining for added warmth, and even added some to the inside of their boots, though their fingers and toes were numb. Snow crunched lightly underfoot as they passed stores on the crowded sidewalk. They were pushed aside by the bustling adults, and sneers and scowls followed them everywhere._

_“Wow!”_

_“Look at that!”_

_“Mom, I want that!”_

_The eight-year-old twins turned to look at the crowd assembled outside of a large store where children of all ages pressed themselves to the window with wide eyes. The twins wiggled their way through the sea of people and stood on tiptoes to catch glimpses of what was behind the glass:_

_Electric trains chugging over tracks that looped under a Christmas tree through the stacks of wrapped boxes set up to resemble prop gifts; the newest models of remote-controlled airplanes hung with wires to look like they were engaged in battle; realistic-looking toy Shuriken and Kunai hanging from the trees’ branches like ornaments; roller-skates, skateboards, and ice skates displayed on clear tiered shelving; figurines of Shinobi were arranged to look like they were scaling the tree with garland; and a variety of small box televisions, cassette players, CD players, and radios. The tree was alit with twinkling lights of all colors and their eyes grew wide as they stared at the plethora of toys._

_“Wow…” Naruto grinned and the word came out as a soft breath._

_“I’ve never seen so many toys in one place before…” Natsumi murmured in the same way. “It’s amazing.”_

_“Dad, can I have that?!” A boy tugged on the sleeve of the man beside him, who reached down to ruffle his hair._

_“I’m sure Santa will get it for you. You’ve been a great kid.”_

_“Hoorah!” The boy cheered, and Naruto frowned slightly and crossed his arms._

_“There’s no such thing as Santa…”_

_The children without earshot gasped and the adults scowled down at the twins as their kids’ eyes watered._

_“T-That’s not true!” Several children on the verge of tears looked to their parents. “Tell him!”_

_“Hmph!” Naruto narrowed his eyes stubbornly at them as Natsumi nervously shrunk behind her brother. “Of course Santa’s not real! He’s never given us anything ever!”_

_The dumbstruck children clung to their parents and the adults glared daggers at the boy._

_“That’s because he gives gifts to good children.” One woman sneered. “Not to_ beasts.”

_The twin’s eyes widened slightly and quiet mocking laughter sounded from the adults, and the children with them joined in. Naruto and Natsumi’s face flushed red from the cold, from the anger and frustration, and the embarrassment._

_“Who needs your stupid Santa anyway?!” Naruto shouted and balled his hands into fists. “We have better and funner Christmases than you!” He grabbed his sister’s trembling hand and pulled her away from the crowd. “Come on, Natsumi. These people are just stupid jerks.”_

_After walking down another street, Naruto huffed angrily and released Natsumi’s hand._

_“Hmph… those jerks… what do they know?”_

_Natsumi’s eyes watered and spilled over and she covered her flushed face with her bare hands._

_“Natsumi?” He leaned in close to her face and put his hand on either cheek. “Don’t cry!”_

_“I…I…” Natsumi hiccupped as she cried and wiped her face with her sleeve. “A-Are we r-really… beastie? I-Is that why we never get presents or anything?”_

_His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “Of course not! You’re an extra-super-duper good kid! If Santa really was real, you’d get that whole toy store for Christmas!”_

_She sniffed again, wiping her eyes to meet his. “Really?”_

_“Really!” He nodded and crossed his arms. “We don’t need to believe in a weird fat man in red clothes to have a great Christmas!”_

_“Are you sure?” Natsumi looked down. “Christmas for us isn’t like anyone else’s. They get lots of toys and presents and have big trees and other stuff…”_

_Naruto’s expression fell slightly and then he grinned and crossed his arms behind his head. “Just leave it to your brother! It’s gonna be the best Christmas yet!”_

_Her eyes lit up and he took her hand again._

_“Come on. Let’s find something fun to do.”_

_He ran off, seemingly without reason, and the twins began to laugh loudly as their legs carried them. As they did, their bodies warmed and the cold’s ache lessened. Finally, they stopped out of breath on a busy street. Huffing and puffing, the two laughed as they looked at the other. Their laughs faded and grinned at each other._

_“Oh, I smell something good.”_

_“Me too.” They both sniffed deeply and turned toward the beverage stall that the aroma came from. The vendor was pouring a rich-smelling hot brown liquid into cups and handing them over to the customers, grateful for the warmth as they took a break between errand-running._

_“Oh, what is that?” Natsumi wandered closer to read the sign. “Hot chocolate?”_

_Both of their stomachs growled loudly and they clutched them at the same time._

_“We should get some!” Naruto grinned and dug into his pocket for the loose change there, then stuck his tongue out as he counted the coins and bills under his breath. He frowned and glanced up at his sister. “It’s not enough…”_

_“I think I have some.” Natsumi dug into her own pocket for the change she had collected off the sidewalk the day before, counting under her breath as they held their open hands together. She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and slowly closed her fingers around the coins. “…We still don’t have enough.”_

_Their stomachs groaned again and they watched the customers drinking and smile at the warmth that spread from the drink. They took a deep breath, holding each other’s hands, and then approached the stall once the last customer had gone._

_“Whaddyou want?” The man scowled down at the twins. “Get lost.”_

_“W-We… want…” Natsumi’s lip quivered and she looked down. Naruto looked up at the man and clenched the coins in his hand._

_“We want some hot chocolate, too!” He opened his hands to show their combined money. “We have some money, ya know!”_

_“Money?” The man leaned forward, raising a brow as he counted in his head. “Not enough. Get lost.”_

_“It’s almost enough!” Naruto waved his fist. “Can’t we even just have half a cup?”_

_“No. I said get lost. I got no interest serving your type.”_

_Natsumi’s eyes watered and Naruto furrowed his brows and stomped._

_“It’s all we have, I say! You can have it all! We just want half a cup! It’s really cold, and we’ll share it, ya know!”_

_“I said scram!” He bellowed at them, slamming his hands on his stall counter and startling them. The twins fell to the ground, eyes wide, and their coins fell out onto the snow-covered sidewalk around them. “I don’t want you anywhere close! It’s bad for business!”_

_Natsumi’s eyes widened and she turned to hide her tears from the man and reached into the snow to retrieve the coins. Her tears fell into the ground and Naruto watched her for a moment, then jumped to his feet with his face red._

_“Why, you! No one makes my sister cry, ya know! All we wanted was something to drink!”_

_“I don’t deal with snotty brats who ain’t got money.” The man clenched his fists and Naruto kicked the stall._

_“You jerk! I won’t forgive you!”_

_“Shut up and leave.” The man furrowed his brows and looked around at the attention on them now. “I don’t want you around here.”_

_“Grr.” Naruto growled and glared at the man, then helped Natsumi up. “You dirty rotten, smelly, ugly, fat, jerk!”_

_“You want some hot chocolate so bad?” The man sneered and filled a cup. “Fine then. Here you go!” He threw the liquid at the children, and Naruto shielded Natsumi with his own body. He cried out as the drink burned him, and Natsumi’s eyes widened._

_“Naruto!”_

_“Serves you right for bothering me.” The man tossed the empty cup down at the ground besides Naruto. “Disgusting gutter-rats.”_

_“Natsumi, are you okay?” Naruto shuddered and winced, and Natsumi stared at the red, swollen skin._

_“Y-You’re hurt…”_

_“It’s okay if you’re okay, ya know.” He smiled and Natsumi put her arms around him._

_“L-Let’s just go home.”_

_“Hmph.” Naruto shot a glare over his shoulder at the man, and then at the onlookers. “All we wanted was a drink…”_

* * *

Natsumi walked with her hands stuck deep into the pockets of her jacket with her scarf wrapped around her neck. Each inhale was an icy, stabbing sensation and each and every exhale formed a small puff in front of her face as her breath crystallized from the cold. She shuddered and reached up to readjust her earmuffs, though her ears were still numb from the cold. The first snows had yet to fall for the season, but the days were bitterly cold, with icy blasts on the wind that froze her to the bone. Frost clung to each leaf that still remained on the trees, the withered flowers, and grasses. Windows belonging to houses and shops alike were fogged over with creeping frost, and most stayed indoors due to the unseasonably cold weather— though those who still milled about did so hurriedly, eager to get home, and bundled in many layers of clothing.

Carols could be heard playing in the shops each time one of their doors opened as customers entered or exited, and delightful seasonal smells drifted from the various shops baking and serving Christmas cookies, pies, and candies. She drew in a deep breath as she passed a stall that sold hot cocoa, closing her eyes to savor the rich scent before eventually exhaling. Her stomach growled as she opened her eyes and she let out a sigh.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had hot chocolate…” Her expression fell slightly and she bit her lip. _Not since last Christmas… with Naruto._

She blinked quickly to ward away the stinging in her eyes and she felt in her pocket for her coin purse and then faintly smiled.

_Even if Naruto isn’t here this Christmas, I can still have some like we usually do._

She turned and headed into a convenience store, standing in front of the door for a moment as she wiped her boots on the weathered mat and lowered her scarf to take in a breath of the warm air. The balding cashier cast a stern look her way, one that she recognized, and she quickly ducked down an aisle to avoid the cold gaze.

 _He hasn’t gotten any friendlier to me even after all these years._ Natsumi moved through the aisles and turned the corner with growing excitement. _I’ll make some cocoa like we normally do and it will be almost like he’s still here—_

She stopped abruptly as her eyes rested on the empty shelf, where an “out of stock” sign was resting in the spot that the cocoa usually was. Her heart sunk and she glanced downward.

“Gone?” She murmured and then slowly put a hand on the empty shelf. _I’m too late again._

* * *

_“Naruto, where are you going?” Natsumi watched as he pulled on his shoes and jacket, wincing as he ignored the pain of the burn from the night before._

_“I’m gonna go get everything we need for an awesome Christmas.” He grinned at her. “I promised, ya know. This is gonna be the best Christmas ever.”_

_“But…” She stared at the burns. “We should get medicine.”_

_“I’m fine!” He shook his head quickly. “I don’t need medicine. It’ll get better really fast. See? It’s already almost gone.”_

_“Yeah, but…”_

_“I’ll be back later, Nami!” He waved and called out the affectionate nickname from their toddler years. “Just you wait! I’m gonna find the best Christmas stuff ever!”_

_He shut the door behind him loudly and Natsumi sighed. She looked around the quiet apartment solemnly and hugged her arms close._

Why is everyone so horrible to us? We didn’t even do anything.

_She looked at the cluster of coins on the table and separated them out to count them. “It’s only half of what we had…” She stared at them for a while before looking at the Calendar. “Christmas is tomorrow. Can’t we just have one nice thing for Christmas?”_

_Her eyes widened slightly and she scooped up the coins in her hand._

I have an idea!

_Stuffing the coins into her pocket, she tugged on her shoes and jacket, ignoring how the worn shoes pinched her feet. She wrapped her violet scarf around her neck, slid on her earmuffs, and then left the apartment in a hurry._

I’m going to do my best to make it the best Christmas, too!


	6. 2021 Valentine's Special Part One

Kotetsu walked through the village with his hands in his pockets. For the most part, he ignored the fuss and the buzz around him, rolling his eyes at the nagging sales folk at the stalls and shops he passed. It seemed like every shop suddenly sold either chocolates, stuffed animals, or flowers, and, quite frankly, he was _very_ much over it. The last Valentine's day he had celebrated was when he was a child still at the Ninja Academy. His gesture of affection for his crush had been, for lack of a better word, _crushed_. After a humiliating rejection on the playground, he had taken to avoiding the holiday entirely, choosing instead to spend the day alone. Some years, Izumo would spend the day with him as they both enjoyed their lives as bachelors. Other years, he regarded Izumo as a dirty traitor. This was because of the fact that Izumo was an unexpected lady-killer, and, while Kotetsu could understand why women found his best friend attractive- he still couldn't _understand_ how Izumo had better luck in love than himself.

He held up his hand to politely reject the advances of a woman selling Valentine's gift baskets and quickened his pace.

_"Valentine's Day is such a pain in the ass._ "He sighed and moved to walk on the other side of the street to avoid another vendor. _"It's just a day for lucky guys to rub their luck in poor sucker's faces, and for rude women to scam a guy out of a free dinner and then never talk to him again."_

He moved to avoid another vendor and lost his balance, staggering and bumping into an older woman.

"Oh, sorry. Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Your mind is clouded with thoughts of romance." She raised her brow and turned to look up at him with a faint smile playing on her lips. 

"W-Wha?!" Kotetsu laughed and rubbed his head. "No, sorry, you've got it wrong. I'm not really a fan of Valentine's."

"Or so you tell yourself." She took his hand and traced her finger over his palm, and he jolted slightly and suppressed a laugh.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?"

"Come with me. Baabaa will give you a reading for free." She waved her bony hand and he blinked.

"...Reading?"

"Baabaa is a gifted fortune teller, of course." The woman patted her tightly curled hair. "Baabaa's services are highly sought out in many countries, but Baabaa shall read you for free because you are so pitiable."

"Oh, thanks, but- hey!" He coughed into his hand and his cheeks flushed. "P-Pitiable?!"

"You come with Baabaa now."

"Uh... do I get a choice?"

She raised a thinly-drawn eyebrow at him, and he cleared his throat.

"O-Of course not." He sighed and slouched slightly. "A-Alright. I'll follow."

He followed her down a street that opened up to a field. Normally empty and used by children for games, it was busy and full of workers setting up for the Valentine's festival. The old woman waved for him again, and he followed her into a brightly-colored tent.

Kotetsu coughed as the pungent scent of incense hit him suddenly as he entered. She made him sit across from her at a table with a glass ball between them.

"Baabaa will begin now."

"I-I should tell you that I don't really believe in fortune telling."

She raised her brow again. "Baabaa hears this often. It is no matter. Now, place your hands around the crystal."

"Oh uh... alright." He did as she directed and then blinked. "...What now?"

"Now, you be quiet, and Baabaa will work."

She closed her eyes and placed her hands over his, and his eyes widened as the crystal began to change. It grew cloudy and she hummed to herself.

"Your apprehensiveness is rooted in insecurity." She finally said after a long pause. "A painful memory that has lingered."

_"How generic."_ He coughed. "...I... guess so?"

"Quiet. Baabaa speaks."

"Right." He looked down at the crystal ball and she hummed to herself again.

"However, there is a glimmer that remains in you. The smallest of sparks on the surface, but Baabaa now sees that it is brighter than even you understand."

"And... what exactly does that mean?" She cracked opened her eyes to look up at him. "Your heart is much like a dormant volcano to you, yes?"

"Well, I'm not so sure about that imagery, but-"

"Within that dormant volcano lies a pit of hot lava, biding its time before it may erupt. Over the years there have been moments when you have lowered your guard, allowing cracks to form and small amounts of lava to escape, though it is interrupted each time. Yes?"

"There's really not anyone I have that I'm close to romantically."

"To lie to Baabaa- happens often. To lie to yourself- even moreso."

"W-Wait a second... Lying to myself?" Kotetsu sighed and shook his head. "Look, if there _was_ someone, it wouldn't work out really anyway."

"Three times."

"Pardon me?"

"You will encounter this person three times before sunset tomorrow."

His eyes lit slightly. "You mean I'll actually have a date tomorrow?"

"You will spend the day alone, yet not alone."

"...Oh." His expression fell and he made a face. _"I knew it was too good to be true."_

"However, when you are in darkness, there will be a hand in yours."

"H-Huh?" He chuckled tilted his head. "Sorry, but... what exactly does that mean?"

"It means that Baabaa is finished." She moved her hands to her lap and the crystal became clear once more. "And that you may go."

"T-That's it?!" He stood. "Aren't you going to commune with spirits or have me draw cards?"

"Baabaa is not a fraud or a medium, boy." She shook her head and pointed a bony finger at a glass jar. "But, do take a treat with you."

"Oh. Uh... thanks, but I'm not a fan of hard candies."

"Take two of the red-and-yellow ones."

"A-Alright. If you insist." Kotetsu stuffed the candies into his pocket and looked back at the woman. "Is that it?"

"Baabaa wishes you a nice day."

"Same to you." He scratched his cheek. "Thanks for the reading... I guess?"

"No thanks to Baabaa yet." She waved him away. "Go now."

"What a weird lady." Kotetsu muttered to himself after he had walked a distance away from the tent, and put his hand into his pocket. He felt the candies there and frowned slightly. _"I don't even recognize these candies at all. They must be foreign, I guess."_

He turned a corner and walked directly into Kiri as she stepped out of a shop, and his eyes widened. "K-Kiri?!"

"Hey, watch it- oh it's just you." She put her hand on her hip and stuck out her tongue. "What are you doing here? Looking for a special Valentine's outfit? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she's been booked up for custom orders for months now."

"Valentine's outfit?" He repeated, and then looked at the store's sign. "'Sew Cute'?" He held up a hand and shook his head. "No, I'm not here to shop. But, uh..." He cleared his throat and looked over her again. "You're dressed really... nicely. Do you have a date for tomorrow, then?"

"Oh this?" She grinned and spun in a circle, admiring the flaming red cocktail dress. "I'm going to binge watch my favorite old horror flicks while eating ice cream with myself."

He furrowed his brows and pointed at her. "You're going to wear a _cocktail gown_ on a date with yourself on Valentine's day?"

"Damn right I am." She flicked his nose. "Don't judge."

"That's not the weirdest thing I've heard all day, at least." He muttered and let out a breath.

"So, what are _your_ plans for Valentine's?" Kiri crossed her arms

"I guess we'll both be alone. Izumo's betrayed me again and he says that he's already got plans."

"Uh uh, I won't be alone." Kiri shook her head. "I've got plans to soak in the bath with Natsumi for a while."

"Wait, Natsumi's got no date, either?"

"Shocking, right?" Kiri chuckled. "Though I guess it's hard to go on a date with someone you like if they live in a completely different country."

"What about Sena? You two are always together."

Kiri groaned and rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what's gotten into her lately. She's been keeping to herself and says she has plans. She insists that she doesn't have a date and that she's just busy researching herbs, but I don't know if I really buy that or not."

"That's rough." 

"You're telling me." Kiri shrugged. "But, oh well. If she wants some time to herself, I can respect that."

Kotetsu's eyes widened suddenly and he grabbed her wrist, then pulled her into the shop quickly.

"H-Hey, what are you-?!"

"Shh!" He clamped a hand over her mouth, then glanced out of the wide front window cautiously. Her gaze followed his, and her own eyes widened as they watched Sena and Izumo walk by together, talking without hardly stopping to speak. Once they had passed, Kotetsu lowered his hand and Kiri scoffed but smirked faintly.

"That deceptive little... so _that's_ why she's been 'busy.'"

Kotetsu blinked repeatedly, then screwed up his face. "I-Izumo and Sena are... _together?!"_


	7. 2021 Valentine's Special Part Two

"What a _beautiful_ day!" Natsumi stretched and smiled, and Kiri yawned and patted her hand over her mouth. "It's not too cold, the skies are clear, and I've got a new dress."

"It's suspicious how cheerful you are." Kiri crossed her arms. "And, when did you get that dress? I haven't seen anything like it around here."

"O-Oh, this?" Natsumi averted her eyes and smoothed down the skirt. "I... got it yesterday."

"Uh huh..." Kiri bent slightly and met her eyes, squinting. "But yesterday you were hanging out with your brother. I doubt he'd go dress shopping with you."

"Uh... that..." Natsumi held up her hand and a bead of sweat formed on her brow. "I..."

Kiri's lips twitched in a faint smirk. "...Did your _boyfriend_ send you that?"

"B-B-Boyfriend?!" Natsumi blushed and laughed quietly. "I-I don't... I mean... i-it's not..."

"Uh huh. Just as I suspected." Kiri reached out to feel the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. "Are those lingering grains of sand that I feel?"

"U-U-Um..." Natsumi's blush deepened and Kiri laughed, then patted her head. 

"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. I assumed as much anyway, considering that fabric isn't from around here."

"I'm just worried that Naruto might overreact about it." Natsumi scratched her cheek. "Besides, we're not... _actually_ dating. He didn't ask me or anything..."

"Seriously?" Kiri blinked. "So... what _are_ you then?"

"Um..." Natsumi paused. "...Friends?"

"Friends who kiss and buy each other clothes?"

"U-Uh..." Natsumi laughed sheepishly. "... _Very_ good friends?" She coughed. "And I didn't buy him clothes."

"Still, to think he got your _exact size_." Kiri tapped her chin, circling her, and then winking. "Either he got lucky, or he found a way to figure it out."

"Well, he said in his letter that he got advice from Temari." Natsumi mumbled.

"Ah, the older sister hack." Kiri snapped her fingers. "I should've known." She drummed her fingers against her arms. "So what _did_ you get him?"  
  
"Don't laugh, okay? It's kind of silly and not as nice as a dress."

"Laugh? Me? I wouldn't." Kiri rested her arm on the girl's head. "What'd you get him?"

"I... sent him a box of snacks that you can only get here. Special chips, candies, gummies..." Her eyes turned down and her voice lowered. "...special ramen cups."

Kiri laughed shortly and grinned, mussing her hair. "Aww, that's so cute."

"I couldn't think of anything else to get him, and he _did_ say that he liked the snacks here, so..." Natsumi sighed. "But I wish that I could think of something better."

"Lucky for you, I'm here!" Kiri grinned and thumbed at herself. "Why don't I help get a cute picture of you in that dress that you can send him?"

"A-A picture of me?!" Natsumi ears warmed. "You think he'd like that?"

"He got you a _dress_ , so I assume that he's wishing he could see you in it."

"Well... I guess you might have a point."

"Of course I do!" Kiri held up a finger. "And, if we're going to get a picture of you, we need to make sure you're the most beautiful you've ever been!"

"D-Don't I look fine already?" Natsumi looked down at herself.

"Of course you look great." Kiri nodded. "But if we're going to the bath anyway, it'd make your skin glow even more, and I'll do your hair nice and everything."

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly. "Kiri, you know how to style hair?!"

"I sure do!" Kiri grinned. "My mom used to do my hair up nice for the anniversaries of my adoption, and there would be a big formal party where I was treated like a princess for a day." She laughed. "Yuuri sure hated it."

"Really?! That sounds amazing! And so much fun." 

"It was." Kiri nodded, and her smile faltered. "My brother always went all-out for that day, too. He even rented a pony once for me to ride around on, and he took the time to add tassels and decorate the saddle and everything."

"I wish I had a brother like that." Natsumi smiled. "Not that I don't love or appreciate Naruto, but he doesn't do anything flowery like that for me." She rubbed her head. "Although he does do things his own way, which is fun."

"I get it; girls want to be spoiled and pampered at least for just one day." Kiri nodded. "And that day is today!" She poked Natsumi's nose. "I'll spoil you, so you just enjoy it."

Natsumi looked around, and her eyes widened slightly. "B-But first! We should get something to eat!" She pointed down the street. "What about Valentine's Taiyaki with strawberry-and-cream filling?"

"Uh, yes!" Kiri beamed and rubbed her hands together, then pulled Natsumi along with her to the stall to order. After a few minutes, she cackled quietly to herself as she stared at the Taiyaki with the whipped creamed piled high. "Oh, _yes."_

"Isn't that a _bit_ much?" Natsumi asked and bit into her own Taiyaki, then groaned happily as she chewed. "So yummy!"

"There's no such thing as too much whipped-cream." Kiri cackled again, opening her mouth wide as she took a large bite, then tried to speak, only to have her words unintelligible.

"The filling is almost as good as Sena's." Natsumi cooed and took another bite. "I could eat this all day."

"Speaking of Sena." Kiri swallowed the bite and licked the cream from her lips. "You've noticed she's been acting strange lately, right?"

Natsumi coughed on her bite and her eyes widened slightly, then quickly shook her head. "Sena? Acting weird? Never."

Kiri narrowed her eyes at her. "Okay, now you're also acting strangely."

"M-Me?" Natsumi laughed and looked away. "You're imagining it..."

"Drop the act." Kiri smirked and waved her hand. "I already saw Izumo and Sena together."

Natsumi blinked and looked around. "Y-You w-what?!"

"So, you were in on it, too?" Kiri sighed heavily and pouted. "Why didn't she just _tell_ me?"

"W-What... did you see them doing?"

"What did I...?" Kiri's eyes widened. "Ohhh, do you know something really juicy?! I only saw them walking together, but if they've done more..."

"N-No!" Natsumi shook her head. "I d-don't know of anything like that..." She took several bites in rapid succession to avoid answering any more questions, and Kiri grinned and continued to eat slowly.

"...Interesting. _Very_ interesting."

Natsumi finished her Taiyaki quickly and laughed awkwardly. "Oh, look at that! I'm all done! W-We should get going to the bathhouse now-"

"I'm not done _yet._ " Kiri stuck out her tongue at her, then took another large bite. "Can't rush this goodness."

_Oh boy. Someone save me before she asks more questions._

Natsumi turned to carefully watch a tall potted set of blooms in front of a nearby shop where heart-shaped balloons were tied to a small stake in the dirt.

"Whatcha looking at?" Kiri leaned down to whisper, and Nasumi squeaked and jumped.

"N-Nothing!" Natsumi waved her hands. "Just the balloons."

"The balloons?" Kiri looked up at them. "Yeah, I like balloons, too. Do you want me to get you some?"

"No thanks." She shook her head. "But we should get to the bath just in case it gets crowded."

"Alright, alright." Kiri laughed and ate the rest of her treat, swallowing the last bite before crossing her arms. "All set now. You're awfully eager, you know."

"W-Well, it's for the picture, so..." Natsumi rubbed her head.

"Ah, right. You want to look good for your not-boyfriend." Kiri winked. "Who am I to get in the way of young love?" She put her arm around Natsumi and turned to lead her away. "For your hair, what would you think about a braid?"


	8. 2021 Valentine's Special Part Three

Sasuke ignored the flowery, red-and-pink, sickeningly-sweet chaos of the state the village was in around him- including all of the eye-roll-inducing hand-holding of the couples he passed. He rolled his eyes as a couple fed each other bites of heart-shaped chocolates and stuck his hands into his pockets. Already today he had been confessed to by nearly two dozen girls and already rejected all of their cards, gifts, and other tokens of affection. He walked by a new girl who held out chocolates, not even meeting her eye. Her eyes watered as he passed, and she broke into a cry and ran away.

_"Why do they have to be so annoying? I never asked for their attention."_

"So harsh, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up at the dark-haired man and narrowed his eyes slightly in recognition. "...The gate guard."

Kotetsu grimaced and rubbed his head. "M-My name's Kotetsu, actually." He lowered his arm and looked at the boy. "You could have at least turned her down nicely."

"I don't care."

Kotetsu sighed. "Look, kid, I'm not a fan of Valentine's, either, but there's a right way to reject a girl."

"They'll just whine more if I acknowledge them."

_"Yikes. He's even more of a Valentine's miser than I am."_ Kotetsu held up his hand. "E-Even so, you should try to be more considerate, don't you think? Girls your age are so delicate and you don't want to harden their hearts."

"Not my concern." 

_"So harsh."_ Kotetsu sighed again, continuing to walk beside the boy absentmindedly. "Well, I guess that's not my business. You'll figure it out eventually." He turned to walk away, though stopped beside tall potted flowers. The balloons staked in their pot blew into his face and he waved irritably to clear his vision. "AH-! Ugh _no!_ " He held one of the balloons away from him as the static drew the points of his hair to it, and he grumbled. "I'm being assaulted by commercialism."

"GAH!" 

Kotetsu looked down at Sasuke, who was glaring with his jaw clenched and eyes shut tightly. He was now suddenly dripping wet, with the remnants of a water balloon on the ground around him. Sasuke rubbed his eyes to get the liquid out of his eyes.

"What the hell?!" Sasuke groaned and then sniffed himself as his vision remained blurred. "What is this?! Who...?! I'll kill them!"

Kotetsu sniffed the air. "Huh. Light, floral-herb scent. It's actually really nice."

"Speak for yourself." Sasuke wiped his hands on his pants to dry them, then rubbed his eyes again. The mystery liquid absorbed into his skin in only a minute, and he was dry again.

Sasuke looked up and blinked slowly as his vision cleared and he froze in place, mesmerized by the back of the figure that walked in the opposite direction. His heartbeat quickened at the elegant, but casual deep red dress, and the way her red hair cascaded over her shoulders.

"Hey, sorry, kid. Maybe one of those girls is taking out their revenge or something--"

Sasuke clutched at his heart, then grabbed Kotetsu to pull him down to meet his eyes. "Tell me, how do I win over a girl?!"

"W-What...?!" Kotetsu blinked and looked between Sasuke's hand that firmly gripped his collar and the boy's suddenly bright, intense eyes. Sasuke's face was flushed and Kotetsu cleared his throat. "Are you... feeling alright?"

"How do I confess to a girl? Tell me now!"

_"What's gotten into him all of a sudden?!"_ Kotetsu rubbed his head. "I'm not really the right guy to ask about that, b-but, you could try flowers? Some people try poetry and chocolates, though just being open about your feelings also is supposed to work."

"I'll do all of them." Sasuke released him and put his hands in his pockets, and turned back to walk off with fast strides.

"That was... weird." Kotetsu mumbled to himself with a sigh _"Oh well. I hope he has better luck with girls than I did."_ He turned his attention ahead to see the empty space there. _"I wonder who he's so enamored by."_ He let out a breath, scratching his head and looking at the balloons. _"It kind of reminds me of how I used to be about that one girl."_

* * *

Ino leaned against the counter and sighed, curling the ends of her bangs around her finger. _"It's been so busy all day and I'm only just now getting a break. Why did mom have to leave me in charge when it's Valentine's day?"_ She looked over at the small package hidden on a shelf underneath the counter. _"I still haven't been able to give Sasuke my Valentine."_

The bell jingled as the door opened and she sighed. "Welcome to-" She looked up and her eyes widened as she blushed. "S-S-Sasuke! W-W-What are you doing here?!"

Sasuke looked around the shop, then walked over to her. "I need flowers."

"Y-You need flowers?!" She blinked quickly.

"There's a someone that I can't live without, and I need to show her how I feel."

"Oh, you-" Ino froze. "W-What?!" She blinked again and watched as he looked over a small bouquet of roses. _"D-Did he just say... what I think he did?!"_ She blushed. _"Does he mean me?! Maybe he came here just to spend time with me?!"_ She held her hands on her cheeks. _"I-If that's the case, I should make sure he stays here a long time!"_

"O-Of course!" She clapped her hands and stepped out from behind the counter. "What sort of bouquet are you looking for?" She clasped her hands behind her back and blushed. "I-I mean... what sort of message are you wanting to convey to this _special_ girl? Flowers have different meanings, after all, so it's important to choose the right ones."

"Hm." He touched a flower delicately. "What does this one mean?"

"That one is the yellow Acacia. It means a secret love." 

"That's no good." He muttered. "I don't want my love to be secret at all."

Ino internally squealed and her blush darkened. _"H-He's really and truly in love, isn't he?! I didn't know he could feel so passionately..."_ She moved to hold up another flower. "W-What about this one, then? The balloon flower means 'endless love.'"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly and he looked at the purple bloom. "That's perfect."

"O-Or this!" Ino held up another. "The Calla Lily signifies magnificent beauty."

"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I need that."

"They'd be odd paired up together, so what about these red roses? They're a classic symbol of love."

"I need those, too."

Ino ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh, Sasuke, just how large of a bouquet are you wanting?"

"As big as it takes for her to understand my heart."

_"How romantic!"_ Ino blushed deeper and watched him looking at the other flowers. _"I'm so lucky!"_

"What about these?"

"Those?" Ino repeated as he pointed to multiple plants. "Well, the Lemon Leaves represent everlasting love, the Jasmine represents sensuality, Gloxinia is love at first sight..."

"I need these, too."

"O-Okay." Ino gathered the flowers after a pause and then started to arrange them together at the counter. _"He's really going all-out! Normally I wouldn't pair any of these together, but since he's trying to hard to convey his feelings, I don't mind at all! I didn't know he was such a romantic! He really is the perfect guy!"_

"And this?"

"Sasuke, don't you think that's enough?" Ino smiled and tilted her head slightly. "It's going to be difficult to arrange so many..." She looked up from the flowers in her hands and her eyes widened. "T-That's Gypsophila! I-It represents..."

"Represents what?" He turned to her.

"F-Fertility." Ino murmured.

"That's perfect." Sasuke deeply inhaled the faint scent of the flowers and exhaled. "I dream of the day I'll marry her and restore the Uchiha."

Ino's face burned bright red and her breath caught in her throat. _"He's already thinking about that?!?!"_ She shifted where she stood and averted her eyes. "S-Sasuke, I didn't know you felt that way..."

"Ino, please hurry." Sasuke brought her the blooms and touched her hand, his own face a faint pink as his voice was nearly breathless. "I need her to know how I feel. I can't bear the thought of waiting any longer to know if she returns my feelings."

Ino quickly arranged the flowers, then held out the finished bouquet. "Sasuke, you don't need to worry about that. She already loves you so much."

"She does?!"

"Oh, yes. She adores you so much..." Ino closed her eyes, puckering her lips and leaning closer to him.

The bell rang again, and Ino's eyes opened as she saw Sasuke open the door. 

"S-Sasuke...? Where are you going?"

"Thanks for the help. I'm going to go to her now."

Ino blinked slowly and her expression faded. "W-What? But... I thought..." She shook her head. "W-W-Who are those flowers for, then?!"

Sasuke looked down at the bouquet, blushing slightly and smiling- making Ino gape at the never-before-seen sight- and looked back at her. "Natsumi Uzumaki, of course."

Ino paled and Sasuke left the shop, and she stammered nonsensical syllables under her breath for several moments before grabbing her head and screaming.

_"Sasuke's in love with HER?!?!"_


	9. 2021 Valentine's Special Part Four

"Natsumi, come _on!"_ Kiri nagged, and Natsumi waved her hand. 

"Just a second!" Natsumi turned back to Kanna and rubbed her head. "Sorry, we're actually supposed to be going to the bathhouse."

"Oh, sorry!" Kanna frowned slightly and looked down at her book. "I didn't know you were busy.

"It's fine." Natsumi smiled.

"It's not the same, studying and training by myself since Hasu's so busy." Kanna sighed and Natsumi patted her head. "Anko's fine, but she's hard to keep up with. Hasu is more patient."

"Yeah, I haven't had time to see him lately, either."

"I miss when we spent more time together." Kanna sighed again. 

"I know. Me too." Natsumi nodded. "We'll have to hang out sometime soon."

"I can show you how good I've gotten!" Kanna beamed. "Anko says I've really improved!"

"I'm sure you have! I look forward to seeing it for myself." Natsumi put her arms on her hips.

"Natsuuuumiiiii!" Kiri called again, and Natsumi laughed. 

"Sorry!" Natsumi patted Kanna's head again. "Keep practicing, okay? But also, enjoy the day with Koji, alright?"

"I will!" Kanna waved as Natsumi ran off, then returned to sit beside in the sandbox where Ena and Koji played. 

Anko herself sat on a bench away from the playdate, eating a whole Valentine's couple's platter of Dango by herself without acknowledging anyone around her.

"Have fun?" Kiri crossed her arms and laughed, and Natsumi stuck out her tongue.

"She was asking for help learning the Clone Jutsu. Apparently, Anko is great at teaching weapons and Taijutsu, but Kanna's having trouble with her way of teaching Chakra control."

"Ahh, I see." Kiri nodded slightly as they started to walk. "Anko's skilled, though, so I'm sure Kanna will grow into a good Kunoichi." Kiri stretched. "And _now_ we can soak in the bath."

"I almost don't want to take this dress off. It's so nice." Natsumi touched the skirt and Kiri mussed her hair. 

"You can wear it right after the bath. We've gotta get that picture, remember?"

"I know, I know." Natsumi blushed slightly. "I don't normally have pictures taken of me, so I'm kind of nervous."

"Oh, don't be. You're beautiful and adorable, and it'll come out great."

"Wow." 

Natsumi stopped and turned toward the breathless voice, and blinked. "U-Um..."

Sasuke stood there with both arms behind his back, wearing a button-up shirt and formal pants, but what shocked her the most was the strange smile on his face and the pink tint of his cheeks.

"Uh... can I... help you?" Natsumi laughed sheepishly and glanced at Kiri and then back to him. "...Sasuke?"

His eyes widened slightly and he took a step toward her. "You know my name!"

"Uh..." She looked back at Kiri quickly in confusion, and then back to him. "...Yes? We've known each other a long time now."

"It's felt like an eternity since we met." He stepped toward her again and she held up her hand.

"H-Ha... _yeah._.." She coughed. "Are you... really Sasuke?"

"Of course I am." His brows furrowed slightly and he looked at himself. "Is there something wrong with how I look? I can change into whatever you want me to wear."

"U-Uh that's not what I meant!" She shook her head. "N-Nothing's wrong."

_EVERYTHING is wrong!_ She bit her lip. _Why is he dressed like this?! Why is he talking to me?! And smiling?! He's also blushing?!_

"You look beautiful." His smile widened and he looked her over. "Just like an angel come to bless my life."

"A-An angel?!" Natsumi coughed on her own saliva and Kiri stifled a giggle.

"Alright, I'll just be going then so I don't interrupt-" Kiri turned to go, and Natsumi gripped her arm.

"Don't you dare." Natsumi mumbled, and Kiri laughed to herself.

"Do you know what day it is?" Sasuke asked, and then laughed under his breath and rubbed his head. "...Of course you do. That's why you look even more beautiful than you usually do."

"Oh... thank you." Natsumi smiled and tilted her head to the side, screaming internally at the exchange.

_SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG. IS THIS A GENJUTSU?! KIRI DO SOMETHING!_

Kiri met her eyes and shrugged slightly, and Natsumi grimaced.

"I have something for you." Sasuke stepped closer, then took her hand in one of his, caressing the top of her hand with his thumb. "...Even your hands are beautiful... soft and delicate, but also strong..."

"W-Woah-! U-Um!" Natsumi blushed at his sudden touch and stammered. "W-What are you...?!"

"These are for you." Sasuke pulled the enormous bouquet from behind his back and her eyes widened.

"T-There are so many!" 

"Do you like them?" He brought his face closer to hers, and she held up the bouquet to separate their faces.

"T-They're so-!" Natsumi swallowed and looked from the flowers to him. "They're very beautiful. I've never had anyone give me flowers like this before." She glanced away. "Thanks..."

"I picked them all out myself." Sasuke gingerly touched the blossoms. "They each express my love for you."

"L-L-L-Love?!" Natsumi's mouth gaped. 

_Alright, this is definitely NOT Sasuke! Sasuke hates my guts! And he's really annoying! Not... suave and puppy-eyed!_

Kiri cleared her throat to suppress a laugh and Natsumi shot her a look.

_Can't she see that something is very wrong?! Kiri, help me!_

"Yes, I started to develop feelings for you ever since that day we had that match with you." Sasuke nodded and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I tried to deny it and suppress the feeling, but I couldn't fight them anymore."

_I don't believe a word of that._

"But... you always say that I annoy you."

"I'm so sorry for saying those hurtful things." He placed his hand over his heart. "I was afraid to care about anyone, and also afraid that I might lose anyone else. But today I realized that I couldn't keep those feelings hidden anymore." He pressed his lips gently against a rose and slowly looked up at her. "Please, tell me that you feel the same way. You're strong, intelligent, you have a charming sense of humor, and you're beautiful beyond compare. You're everything I could want." He held her gaze without blinking and squeezed her hand. "So, please..."

"I..." Natsumi's mouth hung open as she flushed a deep beet red.

_I-Is this actually happening?! Why is he...?! What's gotten into him?!_

"D-Do you really feel this way, or...?" Natsumi pressed her lips together. _Is there a nice way to ask him if he's trying to pull a weird prank on me?! Or if he was replaced by a psychotic, romantic unknown twin?!_

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I was stubborn, and lying to myself. But now..." He leaned closer and lowered his voice, glancing at her lips. "I... want to be with you. I _need_ to be with you. I can't breathe without you."

"A-Ah... u-uh..." Natsumi buried her face in the flowers. _I don't even know what to say! Sasuke would never! So why...?!_

"If you're not convinced of my love, I could write you a poem, or..." He frowned slightly, his happy expression faltering. "Whatever you want me to do... or need me to do... I'll do it. Just say the word."

"N-No, that's not necessary!" Natsumi rubbed the back of her head. "Y-You're doing just fine!"

He let out a soft breath, and she sighed.

_He looked so crushed! How can I turn him down after he's done all this?! The flowers... the huge shift in personality... does this mean that he actually likes me?!_

"A-Ah...! Well...!" Natsumi blocked her face with the flowers. "I-I love them so much that I'm going go right now and put them in a vase so they won't wilt!"

She backed slowly away from him and gripped the bouquet tightly.

_I can't do it! I can't just come right out and say that I don't like him?! Sure, he rarely looks happy, but now that he's smiling, I can't be the one to take that away!_

"Let me help." He put his hands over hers, and she squealed and averted her eyes.

"Y-You can't follow me home!" Natsumi continued to mentally scream and groan in frustration while she smiled politely. "It's... uh... messy."

"Then I'll clean it for you."

_That's the exact opposite thing of what I was trying to do!_

"W-What I mean is..."She swallowed and laughed awkwardly. "I-I mean... Naruto would be upset if a guy followed me home, s-so..."

"Oh of course." Sasuke shook his head slowly.

_Oh thank heavens. He's finally catching on._

"I forgot to tell Naruto my intentions for you. I'm sure he would prefer if I ask him for your hand first-"

"M-My hand?!" Natsumi blinked. "W-We're getting m-married?!"

"Not until we're older, of course." Sasuke met her eyes, then brought her hand to his lips. "But I would be honored if you took the Uchiha name. Or, I could cast my name aside and become an Uzumaki. Whatever you want."

_This is not normal! This is not normal! This is not normal!_

Kiri had taken several steps back, laughing silently to herself with her back turned. _"I don't know what happened to him, but this is funny as hell!"_

"L-Look, S-Sasuke..." Natsumi cleared her throat. "This is all so flattering, but-"

"Your eyes are so beautiful." Sasuke drew closer and spoke softly, and their noses almost touched as he gazed into her eyes. "I've always thought so, even if I never said it."

"Eep!" Natsumi stopped talking and blushed again, frozen in place. _He's so close!_

"You look so cute when you're surprised... I can't help but want to..." His eyes closed slightly and closed the gap between them, his lips pressed lightly against hers.

_"Holy shit."_ Kiri's eyes widened as she looked back at them. _"Holy shit."_

_Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. What do I do?! What do I do?!_

She squeaked and channeled her Chakra to suddenly disappear, leaving behind only a few flower petals that drifted down.

Sasuke's eyes opened and he caught the petals in his hands, then looked down at them and blushed. "...She's perfect."

_"Alriiiiiiiiiight."_ Kiri coughed and whistled, slowly walking away. _"Whatever the hell that was, I want absolutely no part in it."_


End file.
